(Moscow Bureau) – In this interview, H.E. Mr Andrei Ordash, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Ghana, discusses Ghana-Russia relations, highlights energy, trade and economic cooperation, and training of future specialists in the Russian Federation. Ambassador Ordash also discusses the importance of the forthcoming Russia-Africa Summit, scheduled for late October 2026. Here are the interview excerpts:
As newly arrived Russian Ambassador, what are your impressions after interacting with a few top and senior officials, about the politics and, particularly the economy of the Republic of Ghana? What are their perceptions about doing business with potential Russian partners?
Andrei Ordash: My initial impressions after my meetings with Ghanaian leaders are extremely positive. They clearly confirm that Ghana is a reliable and promising partner for Russia in West Africa. During our talks, I felt a genuine commitment from Ghana to strengthen its longstanding friendly ties with our country. The Ghanaian side expressed readiness to expand cooperation, particularly in education, energy, and within international organisations – and this desire is mutual.
Ghana pursues a pragmatic and diversified foreign policy. This is borne out by statements from its leaders about their intention to build friendly relations with Russia, as well as by Accra’s active engagement in African integration processes. Such an approach provides a solid basis for further developing of our political dialogue.
Ghana was among the first countries to cast off the shackles of colonialism, and today it is once again setting the agenda in global debates on justice. A telling example is the adoption of UN General Assembly Resolution 80/250, in which Accra played a leading role – the resolution declares the trade in enslaved Africans and the racially motivated enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity. As is well known, Russia voted unequivocally in favour of this crucial document, unlike the United States, the United Kingdom, and all EU member states without exception.
We view Ghana’s economic situation with great interest and optimism. The country is demonstrating impressive macroeconomic stability and making significant progress. By the end of 2025, it had risen to eighth place in GDP among African nations. The successful implementation of economic policies has led to a sharp reduction in inflation, and the country’s gold and foreign exchange reserves continue to grow.
I would particularly note that the Ghanaian government is committed to taking decisive action for sustainable economic development. His Excellency, President John Dramani Mahama – who, incidentally, was educated in Russia and has fond memories of his time in Moscow – has launched a number of ambitious initiatives, including the ‘24-hour economy’ programme. This aims to stimulate growth, create jobs, and boost competitiveness.
My first impressions, therefore, are of a shared determination to succeed. I am confident we can take our partnership to a whole new level – one that serves the interests of the peoples of both countries. Ghana’s leadership and business community view the prospects for cooperation with Russia very positively and with great enthusiasm. Their assessments reflect a belief in the significant untapped potential of our bilateral relations.
Ghana is particularly interested not only in commodity trade, but also in gaining access to Russian technology to modernise its economy. It sees Russia as a partner for a technological leap forward, especially in agriculture, nuclear energy, and human resource development. This cooperation could present a historic opportunity to enhance food security and create jobs. Ghana shares the view that our business cooperation has enormous potential. Projects of any scale are welcome – from major investments to small and medium-sized enterprise partnerships.
Is it possible to say concretely, Russia’s economic and investment presence in the country? What is the volume of bilateral trade?
Andrei Ordash: Ghana is attractive to Russian investors as a dynamically developing economy with a growing consumer market. The country offers political stability, security, and favourable investment conditions. Russia’s economic presence in Ghana has gathered significant momentum in recent years, extending beyond just trade. We have reached a qualitative turning point: we can now move from boosting trade turnover to implementing large-scale investment projects in key economic sectors.
One achievement is the growth in bilateral trade. While turnover stood at $247 million in 2022, by the end of 2024 it had exceeded $800 million. As for 2025, official Russian data show a slight dip, although independent expert sources claim steady growth continued – evidently due to differing methodologies. This surge was driven by Russian exports of petroleum products, foodstuffs, and fertilisers to Ghana.
In my view, our cooperation should now move into a phase of long-term capital investment. In particular, the memorandum of understanding signed back in 2015 between the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission and Rosatom provides a solid foundation for building a nuclear power plant in Ghana with Russian specialists. Rosatom’s proposed model includes not just construction but also parallel training of Ghanaian personnel.
A wide range of sectors may interest our investors in Ghana: energy, mining, pharmaceuticals, new technologies, and so on. We have much to offer our Ghanaian partners in these areas. One recent example of mutually beneficial cooperation is the memorandum signed in May between a subsidiary of the Russian agro-industrial company EFKO and the TCDA – the state agency regulating shea nut exports. The agreement covers support for women shea nut harvesters, shea tree planting in the Savannah region, and joint research to boost yields. Furthermore, in collaboration with the Russian Ministry of Agriculture and leading agricultural universities, EFKO will offer talented Ghanaian students the opportunity to study in Russia.
Bilateral cooperation mechanisms between Moscow and Accra have been established to ensure systematic collaboration. We expect the next meeting of the Russian-Ghanaian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation to take place in the coming months.
However, our main investment in Ghana is in human capital. Russia is providing significant support in training national personnel. Currently, over 600 Ghanaian citizens are studying in our country. For the 2025/2026 academic year alone, 120 scholarships have been allocated to Ghanaian students under the federal quota for study at Russian universities. There is active cooperation between our higher education institutions. At the University of Ghana and the University of Media, Arts and Communications, over 500 students are studying Russian with Russian lecturers, and this number is set to grow. Knowledge of Russian opens up opportunities for them to study on scholarships at the best universities in Moscow, St Petersburg, and other Russian cities. This provides access to technology, energy, and infrastructure projects – which I am confident Russia and Ghana will implement together.
It is clear that the normal development of trade and economic relations between Russia and Ghana is hampered by the large-scale anti-Russian sanctions imposed by Western countries – a gross and cynical violation of international law. (Incidentally, Russia is weathering the storm with dignity: for some reason, Western media overlook the fact that in recent years, despite unprecedented external pressure, our country has risen from sixth to fourth place globally in GDP at purchasing power parity.) Europe and the US are rigorously enforcing these rules on third countries. In these circumstances, it is important for us and our foreign partners to act in line with our national interests and seek lawful ways to conduct direct trade.
And a few words about the significance of the forthcoming Third Russia-Africa Summit, scheduled for late October in Moscow, Russia?
Andrei Ordash: The third Russia–Africa Summit is undoubtedly a key event in our relations with the continent. It will take place in Moscow on 28–29 October 2026, and its significance goes far beyond mere ceremonial meetings. This is not merely a summit, but a crucial stage in shaping a new framework for cooperation between Russia and Africa.
I would like to highlight a few key aspects. Both Russia and our African partners are unanimous that the forthcoming summit will give a powerful new impetus to the entire spectrum of bilateral relations. It is designed to advance our shared priorities and take our strategic partnership to a qualitatively new level.
The summit’s main focus will, among other things, be on the economy, trade, and investment. We intend to move our relations with African partners into practical territory by discussing concrete steps to strengthen the economic sovereignty of African countries. The spotlight will be on energy and food security, logistics and infrastructure development, digitalisation and artificial intelligence, creating independent payment systems, localising production, and developing skills.
The summit will mark an important milestone in institutionalising our dialogue. We plan to sign key documents that will shape our relations for years to come: a political declaration and a new joint action plan for 2027–2029. At the same time, we are continuing to expand our diplomatic presence in Africa and establish new intergovernmental mechanisms to make our cooperation more systematic and effective.
In addition to economic matters, topical global and regional security issues will be discussed on the sidelines of the summit. Russia consistently supports the principle of ‘African solutions to African problems’ and advocates reforming international institutions to make them fairer to African countries.
For Ghana, as one of our key partners in the region, this summit opens up a wide range of opportunities. It will help identify priority areas for further deepening our political and economic ties. We are preparing for the summit with great optimism and look forward to the participation of representatives from the vast majority of African Union member states, including Ghana. I am confident that the outcome of the meeting in Moscow will lay a solid foundation for future successes in our mutually beneficial partnership.#
