India and Ghana have strengthened their growing partnership by exchanging two Memoranda of Understanding focused on scientific research, academic collaboration, capacity building, and agricultural research and education during External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to Accra.

The agreements were exchanged in the presence of Jaishankar and Ghana’s Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa during the first leg of the Indian minister’s three-nation visit covering Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Ethiopia. The move reflects both countries’ commitment to advancing South-South cooperation and expanding their Comprehensive Partnership.

One MoU establishes cooperation between the Zoological Survey of India and the University of Ghana. The partnership will promote academic exchanges, scientific research initiatives and capacity-building programs aimed at enhancing expertise and institutional collaboration.

The second agreement links the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in New Delhi with Ghana’s CSIR-Crops Research Institute. It is designed to strengthen cooperation in agricultural research and education, supporting innovation, knowledge-sharing and agricultural development in both countries.

The signing followed extensive discussions between Jaishankar and Ablakwa on broadening bilateral ties. As partners in the Global South, India and Ghana highlighted their shared development priorities and longstanding historical solidarity.

The ministers reviewed avenues for enhanced cooperation across trade, investment, development partnerships, pharmaceuticals, technology, capacity building, defence cooperation and people-to-people contacts. They also discussed strengthening collaboration in multilateral forums and deepening India’s engagement with the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Earlier, Jaishankar called on Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama and conveyed greetings from President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Their discussions focused on the positive momentum in India-Ghana relations following Prime Minister Modi’s landmark visit to Ghana last year.

Jaishankar and Mahama reviewed opportunities to deepen cooperation across a wide range of sectors and discussed Ghana’s development priorities, with both sides expressing a positive outlook towards further strengthening the Comprehensive Partnership.

The visit forms part of India’s wider diplomatic engagement with Africa and the Global South. Jaishankar’s tour of Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Ethiopia from 6 to 10 October includes meetings with political leaders and foreign ministers to review bilateral cooperation, economic ties, development partnerships, capacity building initiatives and regional issues of mutual interest.

In Addis Ababa, the External Affairs Minister is also scheduled to chair the Regional Heads of Mission Conference. The broader visit underscores India’s continuing efforts to expand strategic, economic, developmental and people-centric engagement across Africa while reinforcing cooperation among Global South nations.

ANI