Ghana, Latvia strengthen economic and security ties in Riga meeting

Ghana and Latvia have committed to deepening collaboration across trade, security, and multilateral diplomacy following high-level talks between their foreign ministers.

The meeting in Riga on February 2, between Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and Latvia’s Foreign Minister, Baiba Braže, focused on expanding practical cooperation between the two nations.

In a statement, Minister Braže highlighted the existing trade relationship, dominated by Latvian exports of cereals, milling products, and electrical appliances to Ghana. She expressed Latvia’s ambition to move into higher-value sectors.

“High value-added industries are developing rapidly in Latvia, including ICT and digitalisation, as well as green technologies, in which Ghana has expressed an interest,” Braže said, adding that agriculture and food processing were also key areas for future partnership.

Security issues formed a major part of the agenda. The ministers discussed the global ramifications of Russia’s war in Ukraine, with Braže stating it had severe consequences for food and energy security worldwide. She condemned what she termed Russia’s “colonial, imperial war” and its recruitment of citizens from other nations, including in Africa.

Minister Ablakwa provided updates on the security landscape in West Africa, detailing terrorist threats in the Sahel region. Both sides acknowledged the direct implications of instability in the Sahel for European security and discussed Russia’s destabilizing influence in the area.

On the multilateral front, Minister Braže commended Ghana’s recent role on the United Nations Security Council, noting a shared commitment to international law and the principle of opposing changes to borders by force.

Ablakwa’s working visit, which concluded on February 3, also included meetings with Latvian business and innovation leaders in technology and energy sectors, underscoring the economic focus of the engagement. The Ghanaian minister also visited the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia as part of his official program.

The talks signal a mutual intent to transform diplomatic engagements into concrete partnerships, bridging West Africa and the Baltic region on shared economic and security priorities.