Jaishankar Hails Ghana, India As Historic Partners, Global South Champs

(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted Ghana and India as“historic partners” and“champions of the Global South”, as he called for deeper cooperation between the two countries across several sectors, as per the official statement provided by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). According to the MEA, Jaishankar made the remarks on Tuesday (local time) in Accra after meeting Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, with discussions focused on taking the Ghana-India comprehensive partnership forward.“Now, when we look at Ghana from an Indian perspective, of course, for us, you have been historic partners. We have both been champions of the Global South before that term was even invented,” Jaishankar said. Starting the remarks, Jaishankar said,“My main purpose of coming here, of course, was to follow up on Prime Minister Modi's historic visit last year." He said India and Ghana had a longstanding partnership rooted in their shared experience and support for the independence and self-reliance of countries that were previously colonised. We have, I think, in the world, in difficult circumstances, stood up for the independence and the self-reliance and the dignity of countries who were earlier colonised. And I think that foundation, that legacy, stands us in good stead,” Jaishankar added. The External Affairs Minister said the two countries now needed to build on their comprehensive partnership by finding new areas of cooperation and deepening existing ties.“And what we are trying to do is, now that we have established a comprehensive partnership, we need to live up to that. We need to find new areas of cooperation. We need to deepen our longstanding partnership. And that's really what has been our discussion today,” he said.

Shared Development Goals

Highlighting similarities between development programmes in the two countries, Jaishankar said Ghana and India could share experiences and support each other as Global South partners.“So whether it is a programme like Accra Reset, which deals with health, we have something similar in Ayushman Bharat. You have Feed Ghana, which focuses on food security; we have programmes dedicated to farmers' prosperity and the promotion of millets. You have the goal of 1 million coders; we have our programmes on Digital India and Startup India,” he said.“Given these similarities, given these parallels, I think it's very natural for us as countries of the Global South to pool our experience, to see what we can do to support each other, and to share with each other,” he added.

Expanding Bilateral Cooperation

During the visit, India and Ghana signed two agreements on agricultural research and training and biodiversity. Jaishankar said the two countries were also looking at expanding cooperation in pharmaceuticals and health, mining, defence, railways and digital sectors. He also highlighted the role of Indian businesses and the Indian community in Ghana, saying the community had been“a living bridge” between the two countries. Jaishankar said there had been investment commitments in recent months in pharmaceuticals and the medical sector, poultry and renewable energy.“We really do believe today that our partnership would help in strengthening resilience, in promoting inclusion, in ensuring that growth really delivers for our people in what is otherwise a very turbulent and complicated world,” he said.

Regional and Global Partnership

On the wider regional and international partnership, Jaishankar said India valued Ghana's role in the African Union and ECOWAS, noting that Ghana would assume the chairship of the African Union next year. He also welcomed Ghana's commitment to reparatory justice and restitution of cultural properties, as well as its advocacy for the Sustainable Development Goals and reform of the United Nations, including the Security Council.“Again, we feel that as Global South partners, we should be working together strongly for the reform of the United Nations, including the Security Council. This is an issue where I think our outlook is very similar,” Jaishankar said. Jaishankar also highlighted Ghana's participation in Indian-led initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.

Vision for a Multipolar World

Concluding his remarks, Jaishankar said that the visit had given him a deeper understanding of the bilateral relationship and stressed the importance of closer cooperation as the world moves towards a more diverse and multipolar order.“And I want to say that as we look at the world, I think the world is moving towards multipolarity, towards its natural diversity. And it's incumbent on countries like us, who have been through difficult experiences in our history, to stand up as voices of independence, as advocates of strategic autonomy, of countries who really want to determine our own choices, and to work together. I think it's good for both of us. It's good for the region. It's good for the world as well, Jaishankar said. He added, "And let me conclude finally by saying that I look forward very much to taking this conversation forward, when I hope I will have a chance to welcome you." His speech came during his visit to Ghana, where Jaishankar also met with Ghana's Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to deliberate on vital strategies aimed at expanding the bilateral partnership between the two nations. Emphasising their shared developmental objectives and historical solidarity as Global South partners, both dignitaries focused on deepening cooperation across several sectors, including trade, investments, development assistance, pharmaceuticals, capacity building, defence, and technology.

Jaishankar's Africa Tour

The Minister on Wednesday (local time) arrived in Côte d'Ivoire from Ghana on the second leg of his three-nation tour of African countries, which also includes Ethiopia. There, Jaishankar met Téné Birahima Ouattara, Vice Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Côte d'Ivoire, and discussed the two countries' growing defence partnership. S Jaishankar also held comprehensive discussions with Côte d'Ivoire Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Nialé Kaba in Abidjan, focusing on advancing bilateral cooperation across trade, investment, infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare and people-to-people ties. (ANI) (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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