President John Dramani Mahama has called for stronger trade and investment ties between Ghana and Russia, urging businesses from both countries to explore opportunities in agriculture, agro-processing, energy, healthcare, manufacturing and digital services.
Addressing the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, President Mahama said there was considerable room to expand trade between Africa and Russia, both in the volume of goods exchanged and the range of products traded.
He said the priority was to remove practical barriers preventing businesses from turning the existing friendship between the two sides into lasting commercial relationships.
“ Our task is to remove the practical barriers that prevent businesses from translating goodwill into lasting commercial relationships,” he said.
President Mahama said Ghana offered investment opportunities in cocoa, cashew, horticulture, mineral processing and manufacturing, adding that the country’s strategic location on the Gulf of Guinea and its role as host of the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area placed it in a strong position to support businesses seeking access to markets across Africa.
He invited Russian companies to partner Ghanaian businesses in areas including agro-processing, fertiliser production, agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals, energy, transport infrastructure and the digital economy.
He stressed that such partnerships should build local expertise and create opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises alongside larger investors.
The President also called for improved access for African products to Russian markets. He said better market information, predictable standards, stronger logistics and closer cooperation between business communities could make trade more balanced and beneficial to both sides.
On trade payments, President Mahama called for appropriate mechanisms to support legitimate transactions, including the use of local currencies and digital payment systems.
He said central banks, commercial banks and financial technology companies had important roles to play in making trade and investment easier.
President Mahama further identified agriculture and food security as areas with significant potential for cooperation, citing Russia’s experience in fertiliser production, agricultural machinery and scientific research.
He said reliable fertiliser supplies at competitive prices would help farmers, while investment in local fertiliser production and blending could strengthen Ghana’s agricultural resilience.
He also pointed to opportunities in soil mapping, precision agriculture and satellite technology to help farmers make better decisions, reduce costs and protect their harvests.
On energy, the President said inadequate electricity remained a major obstacle to Africa’s development and identified renewable and nuclear power as areas for closer cooperation with Russia.
He recalled the historical cooperation between Ghana and Russia in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, noting that the Soviet Union provided Ghana with a two-megawatt nuclear reactor in 1964 for scientific and research purposes. He added that Ghanaian nuclear scientists had also received training in Russia.
President Mahama said Ghana was pursuing a diversified energy mix while advancing plans for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. He disclosed that discussions had begun with Rosatom on establishing Ghana’s first nuclear power station.
He also proposed exploring a Russia-Africa digital innovation and artificial intelligence programme to bring together universities, research institutions, businesses and public agencies to support joint research, pilot projects, skills development and technology transfer.
The proposed cooperation could focus on applying artificial intelligence in agriculture, healthcare, education, municipal services, transport management, tax and revenue collection, and environmental monitoring.
On international security, President Mahama called for peaceful resolutions to conflicts around the world and welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s willingness to resume trilateral talks concerning the conflict with Ukraine.
He also called for international cooperation in the fight against terrorism, particularly in the territories of the Alliance of Sahel States.
President Mahama said the summit had opened opportunities for new partnerships and urged participants to translate their discussions into practical action that would improve the lives of their people.
He said the lasting measure of Ghana-Russia friendship should be the progress citizens could see in their communities and daily lives.
