Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has arrived in Jamaica for a two-day official and solidarity visit aimed at deepening bilateral ties and recognising the contribution of Ghanaian troops to post-disaster recovery efforts.
Hon. Ablakwa expressed gratitude to his Jamaican counterpart, Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith, for the warm reception at the airport and the hospitality extended by the Jamaican government.
A central objective of the visit is to engage directly with Ghanaian soldiers who have spent about six weeks in Jamaica assisting with reconstruction following the devastation and loss of life caused by Hurricane Melissa. The minister is expected to deliver a special message from Ghana’s Commander-in-Chief, President John Dramani Mahama, to the troops, who were drawn from the 48 Engineer Regiment.
The visit will also feature bilateral talks with Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Dr the Most Honourable Andrew Holness, focusing on strengthening cooperation between the two countries. Officials said discussions are expected to cover areas of mutual interest, including security, development cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.
In addition, the trip is expected to conclude technical consultations toward the export of Ghanaian health workers and teachers to Jamaica later this year, a move seen as mutually beneficial to both countries.
Members of Ghana’s delegation include Deputy Minister for Defence Ernest Brogya Genfi; Presidential Special Envoy to the Caribbean Kwasi Kyei Darkwah; Chief of the Army Staff, Major General Lawrence K. S. Gbetanu; senior military officers; and directors from the ministries of foreign affairs, education and health.
Ablakwa described the historical bond between Ghana and Jamaica as enduring, saying the ancestral and familial ties between the two nations “shall never be broken.”