Ghana and Venezuela to sign MoUs in cocoa, oil and gas, aviation and education

Ghana and Venezuela are considering signing Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in several sectors, including cocoa production and processing, aviation, education, oil and gas, tourism and military cooperation.

The proposed agreements emerged during a meeting between Venezuela’s Ambassador to Ghana, Jesus Garcia, and Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister James Gyakye Quayson on October 28, 2026.

Ambassador Garcia, who is resident in Abuja, said Venezuela was interested in strengthening bilateral relations through cooperation in areas of mutual economic and strategic interest.

He highlighted Venezuela’s oil reserves and said collaboration in the petroleum sector could be beneficial to both countries.

On cocoa, the ambassador said Venezuela had technologies that could help Ghana reduce losses caused by cocoa diseases, particularly through improved production and processing methods.

He also expressed his country’s intention to establish a resident embassy in Ghana, describing the country as a strategic partner in the sub-region because of the longstanding diplomatic relations between the two countries, established in 1969.

Mr Garcia further congratulated Ghana on the adoption of a Ghana-led United Nations General Assembly resolution on March 25, 2026, which declared the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement the “gravest crime against humanity”.

Deputy Minister James Gyakye Quayson welcomed the proposed cooperation, saying Ghana believed in strengthening partnerships with countries with shared interests through South-South cooperation.

He also highlighted the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as an important platform for expanding trade and economic development across Africa.

Mr Quayson called for stronger cooperation among African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, saying closer partnerships could advance their shared economic interests.

The proposed MoUs are expected to provide a framework for cooperation across the identified sectors as the two countries seek to deepen their diplomatic and economic relations.