GHANA USA RELATIONS

Formal diplomatic relations between Ghana and the United States of America date back to 1957, following Ghana's independence from Britain. Relations between the two countries have been cordial and bonds of friendship and cooperation continue to be strengthened, at the political and economic levels, in defence and security cooperation, health, education, and in law enforcement in respect of narcotics and drug control.

At the political level, there has been a remarkable improvement in Ghana-U.S. relations in recent years, especially with the re-introduction of multi-party democracy in Ghana. This culminated in the exchange of several high-level official visits at the Presidential, Congressional/Parliamentary and other levels, particularly, since the return to democratic rule in 1993.

Since then the relations between Ghana and the United States have been very cordial over the past decades with the exchange of bilateral visits very much at the pinnacle of our strong bonds of bilateral cooperation. Notable visits to Ghana from distinguished American leaders include those by former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barak Obama in 1998 and 2009 respectively. In 2018, Ghana played host to the First Lady of the United States of America, H.E. Melania Trump. And quite recently, in August 2019, we also had Speaker Nancy Pelosi embark on a visit to Ghana together with Rep. Karen Bass and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus. These high-level visits have also been reciprocated with Former President John Agyekum Kufuor’s State Visit to the United States in 2008 as well as various visits by other Ghanaian dignitaries at various arms of Government.

Indeed, Ghana–U.S. cooperation cuts across various fields including political, economic, trade, commerce, agriculture among others. Our relations have over the years been characterized by mutual respect and shared values of democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights. Our two countries continue to cooperate in defence matters which are crucial for the consolidation of peace and security not only in Ghana but the entire West African sub-region. Given our geographical location in the Gulf of Guinea, our partnership with the United States is therefore critical to maintaining maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and the sub-region as a whole.