President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to regional peace, security, and sustainable development.
While officially welcoming the President of the Czech Republic, His Excellency Petr Pavel, to Ghana for a three-day state visit President Mahama underscored Ghana’s regional leadership.
President Mahama drew attention to the worsening security situation in the Sahel and the broader West African sub region.
According to him, he briefed the Czech President on the measures being undertaken at the level of ECOWAS and the European Union to combat terrorism, violent extremism, and the return of military rule in parts of the region.
He reiterated Ghana’s unwavering stance in countering transnational threats and promoting peace and stability, while acknowledging the valuable support offered by the Czech Republic in this shared pursuit.
The discussions between the two leaders extended beyond security to pressing global concerns such as climate change.
He noted that both Ghana and the Czech Republic agreed that climate change remains one of the most formidable challenges of the modern era and requires urgent and collective action.
The two countries expressed deep concern for the environment and recognized the need to combat climate change and mitigate its adverse effects. They agreed on the importance of collaboration among state institutions, academia, and the business community to develop innovative, climate-friendly policies and accelerate the shift to renewable energy.
As part of their climate agenda, both nations discussed partnerships in responsible mining, land reclamation, and the cleaning of polluted water bodies. The Czech Republic pledged technical support and expertise to help Ghana’s small-scale mining sector adopt sustainable and modern practices.
Vocational and technical training also featured prominently in their talks. President Mahama introduced the Ghana-led By-Export Programme, which is designed to train Ghanaian youth to meet international technical standards and gain employment abroad.
He called for Czech collaboration in advancing vocational education and skills development in Ghana.
Highlighting existing industrial cooperation, President Mahama referenced the partnership between the Czech Republic and Ghana’s Defence Industries Holding Company (DIHOC), which led to the successful revamping of the Kumasi Shoe Factory.
He proposed the expansion of such partnerships and explored opportunities for further collaboration between DIHOC and the Czech private sector to establish new industries for mutual benefit.
Following their meeting, both leaders reflected on the challenges facing the global economy and expressed the need for stronger bilateral cooperation to navigate shared economic and development priorities.
