By Arun Nair
New Delhi: India and Ghana have elevated their ties to the level of comprehensive partnership, with both sides setting a target of doubling the two-way trade in the next five years. India is not just a partner but a co-traveller in Ghana’s development journey, PM Modi, the first Indian prime minister to visit Ghana in three decades, said. In a special gesture, the prime minister was received at the airport by President Mahama. PM Modi on Wednesday held wide-ranging talks with Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama. Following the Modi-Mahama talks, the two sides inked four pacts that will provide for cooperation in several areas including culture and traditional medicine. “Today, the president and I have decided to elevate our bilateral partnership to a Comprehensive Partnership,” PM Modi said, adding, “India is not just a partner but a co-traveller in Ghana’s journey of nation-building.” PM Modi Conferred Ghana’s National Honour PM Modi was conferred with ‘The Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana’, the country’s national honour, for his “distinguished statesmanship and influential global leadership”. PM Modi received the award on Wednesday from the Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama. In his acceptance speech, the prime minister said the award was a matter of great pride and honour for him. “I humbly accept the award on behalf of the 140 crore Indians,” he said, dedicating it to the aspirations and bright future of the youth of the two countries, the historical ties between Ghana and India, and their rich cultural traditions and diversity. ‘India Ready to Share UPI Experience With Ghana’ In a media statement, PM Modi highlighted the upswing in trade relations between the two countries. “Indian companies have invested nearly two billion dollars in about 900 projects. Today, we have set a target to double our mutual trade in the next five years,” he said. “In the field of FinTech, India is ready to share its experience of UPI digital payments with Ghana,” he noted. The prime minister also said that Indian companies will cooperate in the exploration and mining of critical minerals. ‘Thank Ghana for Its Cooperation in Fight Against Terrorism’ The prime minister said both sides were unanimous that terrorism is the enemy of humanity and that it was decided to further strengthen mutual cooperation in countering the menace. “We are unanimous that terrorism is the enemy of humanity. We thank Ghana for its cooperation in our fight against terrorism,” PM Modi said. “In this context, we have decided to further strengthen mutual cooperation in counter-terrorism,” he said. In the field of defence and security, we will move forward with the mantra of “security through solidarity”, he added. India-Ghana cooperation will be enhanced in areas such as training of armed forces, maritime security, defence supply and cyber security, he added. The prime minister said both sides expressed serious concerns over the conflicts in West Asia and Europe and called for finding solutions to the problems through dialogue and diplomacy. “This is not the era of war; problems should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy,” Modi said. The two leaders also touched upon issues facing the Global South. “We are both members of the Global South, and are fully committed to its priorities. We thank Ghana for its positive participation in the Voice of Global South Summit,” Modi said. “It is a matter of pride for India that the African Union got permanent membership of the G20 under our G20 presidency,” he added. Calling the talks with President Mahama “extremely fruitful”, PM Modi in an X post said, “We have elevated our ties to a Comprehensive Partnership, which will be beneficial for the people of our nations. We discussed ways to improve trade and economic linkages. Cooperation in FinTech, skill development, healthcare and other such sectors were also deliberated upon.” India and Ghana also see immense scope in working closely in areas such as critical minerals, defence, maritime security and energy, he said, adding that enhancing cultural linkages was also discussed. In a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “Both leaders reaffirmed the warm and time-tested ties between India & Ghana, and discussed ways to expand cooperation in key areas…” “The leaders agreed to elevate the bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Partnership. They reiterated their commitment to democratic values, Global South solidarity, South-South cooperation, and a shared vision for sustainable development & global peace,” he added. The bilateral relations between India and Ghana, one of the fastest-growing economies in West Africa, are marked by a robust trade and investment partnership. India is among the top trading partners of Ghana and is the largest destination for Ghanaian exports, driven largely by India’s import of gold. Ghana is undergoing a major economic restructuring and Prime Minister Modi assured the country of all possible assistance in this regard. With inputs from PTI