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0 By James Amoh Junior
Accra, June 1, GNA – Ghana and the Republic of Korea have signed a visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic and service passports.
This marks a major milestone in the nearly five-decade relationship between the two countries and paving the way for stronger diplomatic, economic and people-to-people ties.
The agreement was signed by Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, and his South Korean counterpart, Mr Cho Hyun, on the sidelines of the Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Seoul.
Under the agreement, holders of diplomatic and service passports from both countries will be exempted from visa requirements when travelling between Ghana and South Korea, a move expected to facilitate official engagements and enhance bilateral cooperation.
Speaking after the signing ceremony, Mr Ablakwa described the agreement as a significant diplomatic achievement and a testament to the growing friendship and mutual trust between the two countries.
He said Ghana was among the few African countries to have successfully negotiated such an arrangement with South Korea, adding that the agreement represented the first phase of broader efforts to ease travel restrictions between the two nations.
“This is an important first step. Diplomatic and service passports have now been fully covered. The next phase will be to bring on board ordinary passport holders,” he said.
The Minister expressed confidence that ongoing negotiations would eventually lead to a comprehensive visa waiver arrangement covering all categories of passport holders.
He noted that the agreement formed part of efforts by the Government to strengthen the value and international recognition of the Ghanaian passport while promoting greater mobility for Ghanaian citizens.
Mr Ablakwa attributed the successful conclusion of the negotiations to the efforts of officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Passport Office and Ghana’s diplomatic mission in Seoul, led by Ambassador Kojo Choi.
According to him, improvements in Ghana’s passport administration system, including the introduction of enhanced security features and chip-embedded passports that meet international standards, had helped build confidence among partner countries.
He explained that the strengthened security architecture assured foreign governments that Ghanaian passports remained secure and were issued only to eligible citizens, thereby facilitating the conclusion of visa waiver negotiations.
Mr Cho Hyun described the agreement as another important chapter in Ghana-South Korea relations and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Ghana and the African continent.
He said South Korea regarded Ghana as an important partner in West Africa and looked forward to expanding collaboration in trade, investment, technology, innovation and human resource development.
The South Korean Foreign Minister noted that the visa waiver agreement would make official engagements more efficient while creating new opportunities for exchanges between institutions and government officials of both countries.
He expressed optimism that the outcomes of the Korea–Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting would build on the momentum generated by the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit and lead to concrete initiatives that advance prosperity and sustainable development.
He also reiterated South Korea’s commitment to deepening its engagement with Africa through mutually beneficial partnerships aimed at promoting economic growth, industrialisation and sustainable development.
The signing ceremony took place on the margins of the Korea–Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, where Mr Ablakwa served as co-chair and called for stronger economic cooperation between South Korea and African countries.
Addressing ministers and senior officials at the meeting, Mr Ablakwa said Africa and South Korea possessed complementary strengths that could drive shared prosperity and sustainable growth.
He noted that significant efforts were underway across Africa to accelerate industrialisation, improve infrastructure, promote digital transformation and strengthen regional integration.
According to him, achieving the goals would require strategic partnerships with countries such as South Korea, which had distinguished itself through rapid industrialisation, technological advancement and investment in human capital.
“Africa and Korea possess complementary strengths and enormous potential for mutually beneficial cooperation,” Mr Ablakwa stated.
The Minister said Africa’s youthful population, abundant natural resources and expanding markets offered immense opportunities for investment and economic collaboration.
He stressed that African countries were increasingly pursuing policies aimed at ensuring greater value addition to natural resources, creating jobs and fostering inclusive economic growth.
Mr Ablakwa said the continent’s emerging development agenda sought to move beyond the export of raw materials towards industrial production and sustainable economic transformation.
He called for partnerships that would promote technology transfer, manufacturing, innovation and skills development while supporting Africa’s industrialisation agenda and the objectives of the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
The Foreign Minister further highlighted opportunities for collaboration in digital technology, renewable energy, critical minerals development, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure and climate resilience.
The agreement is expected to be submitted to Parliament for ratification in accordance with Ghana’s constitutional requirements before it enters into force.
GNA
Edited b George-Ramsey Benamba
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