Ghana and Russia sign historic diplomatic visa waiver agreement

Ghana and Russia have signed a historic visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic and service passports, the first such deal since the two nations established diplomatic relations in 1958. The agreement, announced by Ghanaian Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa during a three-day official visit to Moscow, aims to reduce bureaucratic barriers and facilitate official travel, trade, and investment.

Beyond the visa deal, the bilateral talks resulted in several other key outcomes. Russia has agreed to double the number of scholarships available to Ghanaian students, increasing the total to 240. Additionally, both nations committed to ratifying a defense cooperation memorandum that has been pending since 2016.

Ghana also secured Russian support for its upcoming international summit regarding the restitution of African cultural heritage and artifacts currently held in European countries. Minister Ablakwa noted that Russia has pledged to cooperate with Ghana during this summit, which is intended to coincide with the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. During the visit, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also honored the legacies of Ghanaian figures Kwame Nkrumah and Kofi Annan.