President John Mahama has called for stronger relations between Ghana and the United Kingdom, saying the changing global order presents an opportunity for countries that share democratic values and support multilateral cooperation to deepen their partnerships.
Speaking during a meeting with the UK Prime Minister, President Mahama said the two countries had a long history of relations and shared values, including democracy, respect for human rights and constitutional governance.
He said the changing global architecture made it important for countries with common interests to forge stronger partnerships.
“The whole global architecture is unraveling, and I think that this is a time for us to forge stronger partnerships between countries that believe in a multilateral system, a global system,” he said.
President Mahama also welcomed what he described as Britain’s growing openness to engagement with other parts of the world, particularly countries such as Ghana.
He commended the UK Prime Minister for his statement on reparations, saying it offered an important starting point for further discussions on the historical injustices associated with the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism.
“I appreciate your statement that you made in relation to reparations. I believe that it creates a first step for us to continue to work to see how we can put this whole issue of transatlantic slave trade and colonialism behind us,” he said.
The President said Ghana was willing to work with the UK to pursue mutually beneficial outcomes from the relationship.
He also referenced the UK representative’s participation in Ghana’s Accra Reset dialogue, where he delivered what Mahama described as a supportive speech on breaking dependency and building a new framework for trade and investment.
President Mahama said Ghana valued that contribution and expressed confidence that both countries could build on their existing relationship to strengthen cooperation.