President John Mahama said he will appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire when he travels to Russia for the Russia‑Africa Summit next week.
Speaking at the Financial Times Africa Summit in London, Mahama said he intended to use the visit to urge the Russian leader to halt hostilities.
“Indeed, I'm going to Russia for the Russia‑Africa summit and try to convince President Putin to have a ceasefire if I can,” he said.
The president also defended Ghana’s investment partnerships with countries across the world, dismissing suggestions that competition among global powers should dictate where the country seeks investment. “We are friends to all and enemies to none. And Ghana's policy of non‑alignment has served us well. And so we welcome investors from all over the world,” he said.
He stressed that Ghana’s approach was focused on attracting investment that benefits both the country and its partners, rather than allowing geopolitical rivalries to shape economic decisions. “It's not about competition. It's about investment and a fair return to everybody, including ourselves,” he said.
Mahama said Ghana maintained friendly relations with the United States, the European Union, China and Russia, adding that its non‑aligned foreign policy continued to guide its international relations.
The president also outlined plans to end the export of raw minerals by 2030, saying the government wanted to expand local processing, create jobs and retain more value from the country’s natural resources.
He said achieving the target would require partnerships with investors to establish industries capable of processing raw materials locally.
The President argued that investment should generate wider economic benefits for surrounding communities, rather than creating isolated pockets of wealth. “We’ve gone past the time where you had enclaves of prosperity and surrounded by impoverished communities. It's in the interest of the investor to have a safe environment. You cannot have prosperity in the midst of poverty. That itself is a danger to investments. And so it's a win‑win. It's not a zero‑sum game,” he said.
He cited gold as an example of progress, revealing that 70 per cent of Ghana’s gold is currently refined locally before export. The government is also targeting the domestic processing of at least 50 per cent of cocoa beans produced annually.
Mahama said expanding local processing in both sectors would support job creation, strengthen domestic industry and enable Ghana to retain a greater share of the value generated from its natural resources.
As the summit approaches, observers will watch whether Mahama’s plea for a ceasefire gains traction with Putin and whether Ghana’s investment strategy continues to attract global partners.
