Minister Richmond meets with Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ghana

The Deputy Foreign Minister visited Ireland as the head of a delegation preparing for the establishment of a resident Embassy of the Republic of Ghana in Dublin.

In advance of the meeting, Minister Richmond, said:

I very much welcome the Ghanaian government’s decision to establish a resident Embassy in Dublin. Ireland’s connections with Ghana are long-standing. Over many years, Irish men and women have made a significant contribution to the development of Ghana particularly in the health care and education sectors.

There is a growing Ghanaian community in Ireland, the new Embassy will provide support to the approximately 5,000 Ghanaian citizens resident here.

The Ministers discussed a wide range of multilateral issues, including Ghana’s leadership on the issue of reparatory justice, Ireland’s campaign for a seat on the Human Rights Council, and our shared membership of the UN Security Council in 2022. The Ministers also discussed a shared longstanding contribution to international peacekeeping, including in Lebanon where troops from both countries have served.

Yesterday's meeting took place ahead of a visit by Minister Richmond to Ghana in October where, as part of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, he will co-chair a meeting of the Sahel Special Envoys with the EU Special Representative for the Sahel.

The Minister said:

The Sahel is one of the priorities for Ireland’s EU Presidency in Africa. The region has undergone profound changes in the last six years, but continues to suffer from instability, terrorism-related violence, and an escalating humanitarian crisis.

I particularly value the opportunity to hear directly from Deputy Foreign Minister Quayson on the situation in the central Sahel region, its impact on Ghana, and on Ghana’s efforts to collaborate with its neighbours to improve regional security.