The Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Khadija Iddrisu, held talks with the Director of the First Africa Division of Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Taro Kawase, aimed at strengthening the long-standing bilateral relations between Ghana and Japan.
The meeting, which took place on January 14, 2026, focused on expanding cooperation across key sectors, including trade and investment, education, capacity building and people-to-people exchanges.
Ambassador Iddrisu reaffirmed Ghana’s appreciation of Japan’s sustained partnership and support, describing relations between the two countries as cordial, productive and mutually beneficial over the years.
She underscored government’s commitment to deepening collaboration through sustained high-level engagement and increased economic cooperation.
She also highlighted the importance of leveraging upcoming milestone anniversaries in Ghana–Japan relations to enhance the visibility of existing cooperation and strengthen public understanding of the partnership.
For his part, Mr. Kawase outlined ongoing engagements between the two countries, including a joint Ghana–Japan public-private business mission currently underway in Ghana.
The mission involves senior Japanese government officials and a delegation of 35 Japanese companies exploring trade and investment opportunities in the country.
According to him, the mission reflects growing interest among Japanese businesses in Ghana’s economy and their desire to better understand the country’s investment climate.
He expressed optimism that the engagements would lead to expanded business opportunities and deeper economic cooperation, stressing the need for sustained dialogue and follow-up to support private sector investment decisions.
Both sides welcomed proposals to expand cooperation in education and capacity building, citing partnerships between Ghanaian and Japanese universities as critical to strengthening long-term bilateral relations and human capital development.
The discussions also reviewed upcoming landmark anniversaries, including 100 years of engagement between Ghana and Japan in the cocoa and chocolate value chain, marked by the centenary of Meiji Corporation’s first importation of cocoa from Ghana to Japan, as well as the centenary of Dr. Hideyo Noguchi’s historic voyage and work in Ghana.
It was agreed that these milestones provide an opportunity to celebrate shared history, highlight the depth of relations and further strengthen public awareness of the enduring Ghana–Japan partnership.
Present at the meeting were the Acting Coordinating Director for Political and Economic Affairs, Ambassador Harold Adlai Agyemang, the Ambassador of Japan to Ghana, Hiroshi Yoshimoto, and other officials from Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japanese Embassy.
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