(L-R) Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs; Wopke Hoekstra, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands; Nana Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana; Credit: MAEE

On Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 June 2023, Luxembourg’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, paid a working visit to Ghana, as part of a joint Benelux mission.

The President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ayorkor Botchwey, and the Minister of National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah, received the the Benelux delegation in Accra for bilateral meetings. The Benelux delegation was led by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Wopke Hoekstra, who currently chairs the Committee of Ministers of the Benelux Union. An exchange with representatives of civil society provided an update on the political, economic and security situation in Ghana and the Gulf of Guinea region.

The joint working visit, which will continue tomorrow in Kenya, is part of the will of the EU and the Benelux countries to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with the African continent. According to Luxembourg’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Ghana is an important ally within the multilateral system, sharing the same democratic values. In this regard, the Benelux and Ghana reportedly have a broad convergence of views on the importance of multilateralism and international cooperation in the pursuit of peace and security.

In this context, Minister Asselborn praised the important role played by Ghana for peace and security in the region, in particular through the "Accra initiative" which aims to strengthen regional cooperation in the field of security. Luxembourg, which has been involved in the Sahel for a long time, attached particular importance to security in this area and shared the concern expressed by Ghana at the growing instability and violent extremism in this region.

The security situation in Europe and respect for the UN Charter were also on the agenda. In this context, Minister Asselborn welcomed the fact that Ghana has clearly positioned itself in favour of respect for international law by condemning the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.