FM Eli Cohen looks to up cooperation with UN Security Council member Ghana

Israel is working to build closer ties with Ghana, a UN Security Council member, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said in Accra on Wednesday.

“Ghana is an important country in the international arena, as a member of the Security Council and an influential factor in the African Union,” Cohen said. 

The foreign minister met with President of Ghana Nana Afuko Addo and his Ghanaian counterpart Shirley Ayorkor Botchway.

The Ghanaian president also said that he will support Israel’s observer status in the African Union. An Israeli diplomat was thrown out of the union’s summit in February, though she was accredited to attend. South Africa and Algeria led the charge to revoke the Jewish state’s status in the union, a topic that has divided its members.

Ghana and Israel's relationship and cooperation will remain strong 

Afuko-Addo said that “Ghana will always be a friend of Israel…I warmly praise the activities of Israeli companies in Ghana and will continue to encourage additional cooperation between the countries for the good of our nations.”

Israel and Ghana will work to increase cooperation in the areas of agriculture, border security and medicine, Cohen said. 

The foreign minister brought an economic delegation with him to establish an Israel-Ghana Economic Forum. Among the participating companies were Netafim, Negev Industrial Minerals and Migdal Seeds.

MASHAV, Israel’s development agency, also works in Ghana, and Botchway is an alumna of one of its training programs. Cohen called her “a true partner in expanding MASHAV’s activities.”