Ghana and Grenada, a Caribbean Island nation, are taking their diplomatic cooperation to a new level following high-level talks between President John Dramani Mahama and Prime Minister Dickon Amiss Thomas Mitchell in Accra.
President Mahama is calling for closer collaboration to tap the full potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by sharing experiences in exploiting the abundant resources in both countries.
President Mahama said Ghana is the headquarters of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a historic trade agreement that was signed, and that, so far, more than 50 countries have ratified it.
The president believes it is an opportunity for African and Caribbean businesses to invest together to tap into a market of 1.3 billion people with a GDP of more than $3 trillion.
This was his opening remark during high-level discussions on Friday during the Grenadian Prime Minister’s visit. The discussions focused on political consultations, trade, culture, education and visa waivers.
President Mahama said, “We are happy that your visit will allow us to continue with the rapprochement that we have been engaged in, especially with the MoUs that we have signed, one being the MoU on political consultation.”
The President, who sounded optimistic, said beyond trade, culture, and education, citizens of the two countries will bond more through the visa waivers.
“Our two citizens should be able to travel freely between each other, and so it’s something that we’ll work on to make sure that it’s fully implemented.”
We have received a few complaints from Grenadian citizens who had a bad experience, but we are asking the Foreign Ministry to resolve the issues so we can fully implement the visa waiver for all types of passports, including diplomatic, service, and online passports.
On his part, Prime Minister Mitchell said he feels very much at home. He disclosed that in July this year, at the African Bank Conference, he revealed his DNA ancestry tracing on his maternal side, and it was traced to the Akan people of Ghana.
“So, I think the Akwaaba that was given to me yesterday is a reflection of the homecoming that is deeply personal to me, anecdotal to Grenada and the Caribbean,” he said.
“I am told 75% of the population of Grenada can trace its ancestry to Ghana. So, the very first African country I visited was Ghana.”
Prime Minister Mitchel called for the deliberate use of the ocean as a bridge to make sure that they in the Caribbean could reconnect in a deliberate way with their roots, both politically, socially, culturally, and importantly, economically as well.
The Prime Minister also extended a special invitation to President Mahama to visit Grenada at his own convenience in 2026.