Ghana moves to join BRICS with India's backing during Jaishankar visit

Ghana's Cabinet has approved a decision to seek membership of BRICS, and the country will now formally apply to join the grouping, Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa said on Wednesday. India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is visiting Ghana, said New Delhi had been "very sympathetic and supportive" of Accra's aspirations.

The announcement came as Jaishankar, on the first leg of his three-nation tour of Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire and Ethiopia, held talks with Ghana's leadership. Addressing the media with Ablakwa after their meeting, the two ministers also spoke about taking the India-Ghana Comprehensive Partnership to the next level through wider cooperation in key sectors.

Ablakwa said Ghana's decision to pursue BRICS membership was driven by a desire to diversify its international partnerships and widen its options for development, while continuing to value its traditional partners such as the IMF and World Bank. "We want to have options. We are not going to walk away from our traditional partners. We value that relationship, but we must have new friends," he said.

He said Ghana also wanted to deepen ties with historical partners such as India, Brazil and China, which already have significant trade and investment engagement with the West African country. According to Ablakwa, Ghana's trade with India has more than doubled, from around USD 3 billion in 2024, and the country wants to take it to around USD 7 billion.

Ablakwa said BRICS membership would give Ghana greater options as it seeks to transform its economy, create jobs, industrialise and advance what he described as an agenda of resource sovereignty. He added that Ghana wanted to work with partners with shared interests and commitments and believed its BRICS aspirations were in line with President John Dramani Mahama's foreign policy priorities and his vision of a multipolar world. Ghana will now begin the formal process of applying for membership and seeking the support of existing BRICS members, he said, while noting that admission would require the grouping's approval.

Jaishankar said BRICS brings together countries that value independence of thought and freedom of choice, and that it was understandable that the grouping's message would resonate in different parts of the world. "Where we are concerned, we have always been very sympathetic and supportive of Ghana's aspirations and hopes," he said, while adding that the issue would be one for collective consideration.

On bilateral ties, Jaishankar said India and Ghana were looking to expand cooperation in pharmaceuticals and healthcare, mining, defence, railways and digital sectors. "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 long-standing partnership," he said.

He said the two sides had discussed how to pool their experience and share development solutions, pointing to similarities between programmes in Ghana and India in areas such as food security, healthcare, digitalisation and infrastructure. The two countries also signed agreements on agricultural research and training and biodiversity, he said.

Jaishankar also said Indian businesses had been active in Ghana and referred to recent investment commitments in pharmaceuticals and medical services, poultry and renewable energy. He said the partnership could help strengthen resilience and promote inclusive growth, especially in a turbulent global environment.

He added that India and Ghana had a similar outlook on reform of the United Nations, including the Security Council, and should work together as Global South partners. "We feel that as Global South partners we should be working together strongly for the reform of the United Nations, including the Security Council," Jaishankar said. He also said the world was moving towards multipolarity and greater diversity, and that countries such as India and Ghana should stand up as voices of independence and advocates of strategic autonomy.

In sum, Ghana has decided to formally pursue BRICS membership as it seeks wider strategic and economic options, while India has signalled support for its aspirations and both sides have set out plans to deepen cooperation across a range of sectors.

With PTI Inputs

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