VEEP Calls For Fair Partnerships For Ghana At Global Gateway Forum

Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has called for fair and equal global partnerships among countries that’ll give every country a voice in shaping international cooperation.

Speaking at the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels, the Vice President assured participants that Ghana remains open to collaboration.

She, however, reiterated that the country will not accept partnerships that undermine its sovereignty or economic interests.

“Is it a partnership where you have no voice? Is it a partnership where you do not even decide how much you sell your own goods for? These are fundamental issues that deserve global dialogue,” she told the gathering of world leaders and development partners.

Stressing why the continent must move beyond being a battleground for other nations’ ambitions
Professor Opoku-Agyemang reiterated the need for the continent to process its own raw materials do it can trade on equal terms.

According to her, “We need to move ourselves from a situation where we have been for too long a battleground for the ambitions of others. It is about processing our own resources and entering the market on equal terms so that the real peace of the world can be realised,”

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who delivered the keynote address, also emphasised the importance of genuine partnerships built on respect, shared interests, and long-term commitment.

She noted that the European Union’s Global Gateway initiative has already mobilised more than €306 billion in investments, surpassing its initial target of €300 billion by 2027.

The two-day Global Gateway Forum will bring together leaders from the European Union and around the world to explore investment opportunities, debate global challenges, and forge new alliances aimed at advancing connectivity, sustainable development, and inclusive growth

Boost local processing

She further announced that the government is implementing new measures to reduce Ghana’s reliance on raw commodity exports by focusing on value addition—particularly in the cocoa sector.

She said the initiative seeks to significantly increase local cocoa processing before export, creating jobs and strengthening Ghana’s position in international trade negotiations.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang revealed that government incentives have already expanded the nation’s cocoa processing capacity to about 500,000 tonnes.

She called for stronger institutional and financial support for small-scale cocoa processors, especially in rural areas, and urged enhanced partnerships to drive sustainable growth within the sector.

“Our shared challenge now is to move beyond trade based on commodity dependence towards a partnership built on value addition, sustainability and fairness. For Ghana, processing more of our beans at home is both a legitimate aspiration and a strategic imperative,” she said