Ghana: Remarks of High Representative Kallas at the joint press conference with Vice President Opoku-Agyemang
Ghana, 24/03/2026
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Good morning, everybody.
Dear Vice President,
Thank you for the warm welcome here in Ghana. Ghana is a peaceful and democratic anchor in the region. EU and Ghana share a long-standing partnership that goes well beyond development and trade.
Today, we are taking it to a new level, further signing a new Security and Defence Partnership. This is the first of its kind in an African country.
And it matters because security in Europe and Africa is deeply, deeply interconnected. The new agreement allows us to work more closely in areas like counterterrorism, conflict prevention, cyber security. These are all areas that matter to our citizens, both in Europe, but as well as here in Ghana.
Just after this event, we will be handing over the military equipment, including surveillance drones and anti-drones guns, motorcycles; this is part of the €50 million package delivered to Ghana since 2023.
What you see here today is a tangible demonstration of what our partnership can deliver. Today, we will also address the growing instability in the neighbourhood. The EU supports Ghana's military in the northern part of the country and beyond, and we support West African countries like Ghana in the Gulf of Guinea to counter terrorism, strengthen border security and enhance maritime security, because peace at our borders matters.
Both the EU and Ghana face threats to peace and security. In different ways, we both face wars in our wider neighbourhoods, and we have both constantly called for peace in Ukraine, in Sudan, in the Sahel, in the Middle East. Russia's war on Ukraine is an existential threat for Europe, but it also has consequences that are felt beyond our borders; also here in Ghana. Beyond economic consequences, Russia's unethical recruitment of African nationals preys on economic hardship. Your citizens should not be lured into a war that is not theirs.
The EU-Ghana economic partnership is equally strong. Today, we have also Global Gateway. And this Global Gateway initiative already has delivered concrete results, from the creation of vaccine centre and pharma hub to enabling timber experts to Europe.
I am also looking forward to work with you in the context of Ghana's chairmanship in the African Union next year. It matters more than ever to think that we can work with trusted partners who think alike and act alike. All of this speaks to the depth of our partnership.
So, dear Vice President, thank you again for the warm welcome here and really looking forward to strengthening our cooperation even further.
Thank you.
Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/media/video/I-287042