President Mahama returns home from Russia-Africa Summit

President John Dramani Mahama returned home on Saturday, October 31 after attending the Third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow. The summit, hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin, took place from October 28 to 29. At the event, Mahama outlined Ghana's cooperation aspirations with Russia, noting that the country had launched discussions with Rosatom regarding the construction of Ghana's inaugural nuclear power plant.

He also remembered that the Soviet Union had given Ghana a research reactor as early as 1964. Mahama encouraged Russian firms to invest in Ghana's cocoa, cashew, horticulture, mineral processing, and fertilizer sectors. He proposed the idea of settling trade using local currencies and digital payment systems to lessen the reliance on conventional payment systems.

Mahama expressed gratitude to Russia for its assistance to Africa during the anti-colonial fight and apartheid era, citing his own experience as a scholarship student in the Soviet Union as proof of the bond between the two nations. He advocated for resolving global disputes amicably and commended Russia for its willingness to resume trilateral discussions on the Ukraine matter, while also promoting international cooperation in countering terrorism in the Sahel region.

During the Summit, Mahama visited a Kente cloth exhibition organized by the Russia-Ghana Parliamentary Forum, stating that cultural symbols serve as historical narratives to strengthen bilateral ties. He was honored with two honorary doctorates from the Russian University of Transport and Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN), and welcomed RUDN's suggestion to set up a Russian-African studies program.

Mahama also interacted with the Ghanaian community in Moscow, updating them on recent developments in Ghana and answering their inquiries.