PRESIDENT, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, on Friday, held talks via telephone with the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
According to a release from the Office of the President, the two Presidents reaffirmed their strong commitment to the longstanding friendly relations between their two countries and recalled the discussions held during the Ghanaian President’s state visit to Guyana in 2019.
On that visit, he met with a delegation led by then Opposition Leader and now Vice-President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo.
At that meeting, Dr Jagdeo had shared with the Ghanaian President Guyana’s relationship with Ghana in the 1950s when the PPP interacted with then President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah, on overcoming the ethnic tensions during that period.
Dr Jagdeo had also spoken about democracy and the challenge to democracy that both countries have endured and the Ghanaian President assured him that: “I support democracy. Democracy is the basis for stability in any country.”
President Akufo-Addo had given the assurance to Jagdeo after a meeting with David Granger, who was, at the time, serving as a caretaker President, after his government was toppled by a no-confidence vote.

President Akufo-Addo had promised Granger that Ghana will help in the development of Guyana’s fledgling oil and gas industry and had also promised to send a team of Ghanaian experts to Guyana, only if the Coalition government would provide accommodation for them.
According to reports, Ghana has between five to seven billion barrels of petroleum in reserves, which is the sixth largest in Africa and the 25th largest proven reserves.
Added to that, the West African nation has up to six trillion cubic feet of natural gas in reserves, reports suggest. With commercial quantities of offshore oil reserves in Ghana discovered in the 1970s, the country has a wealth of knowledge in the oil and gas sector.
The offer made by the Ghanaian President to Guyana which was under the Coalition government, from all indications, never materialised.
But importantly, President Akufo-Addo had assured Jagdeo, who was then Opposition Leader that he deals with country and not individuals and political parties.
During the discussions on Friday, Presidents Ali and Akufo-Addo committed to advancing and deepening the agenda for cooperation between the two countries, including in the oil and gas sector and on environmental issues, amongst other areas.