President Mahama seeks to revive historic Ghana-Russia ties

President John Mahama says Ghana is seeking to revive its historic ties with Russia, with energy cooperation, investment and economic relations expected to feature prominently in his engagements with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Speaking at the Russian Transport University ahead of his bilateral meeting with President Putin at the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, President Mahama said the time had come to restore the longstanding solidarity between the two countries.

“I want to say that the solidarity between Ghana and Russia is historic, and we believe the time has come to restore it to that level,” he said.

President Mahama explained that his decision to personally attend the summit shows Ghana’s interest in strengthening relations with Russia and exploring new areas of cooperation.

“We are looking forward to the bilateral meeting with President Putin because I believe it will open up new areas of cooperation,” he added.

Energy is expected to be one of the key areas of discussion, with Ghana looking to explore alternative energy sources and expand its energy mix.

President Mahama said the country is exploring renewable energy sources, including solar, and nuclear energy as part of efforts to diversify its energy supply.

“We are also exploring alternative energy sources such as solar, and I have been looking at nuclear energy as an addition to our energy mix,” he said.

The President expressed confidence that Russia’s technological expertise could support Ghana’s ambitions in the energy sector.

“I know Russia has advanced technology in some of these areas, and so we are looking forward to the meeting,” he stated.

President Mahama said he expects the engagement with President Putin to strengthen bilateral relations, particularly in investment and economic cooperation.

“I am sure that after the meeting, it will bring our countries closer in terms of investment and economic relations,” he said.

President John Mahama and President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to hold bilateral talks on Friday.