Ghana and South Korea have signed their first visa waiver agreement, covering diplomatic and service passport holders.
The agreement was signed on Monday, June 1, by Ghana's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and South Korea's Foreign Minister, Cho Hyun, on the sidelines of the ongoing Africa-Korea Foreign Ministers Meeting.
The deal is the first visa waiver agreement reached by Ghana and South Korea in nearly 50 years of formal diplomatic relations and is expected to strengthen cooperation and ease official travel between the two nations.
“Ghana and South Korea today signed a historic Visa Waiver Agreement for holders of Diplomatic and Service Passports,” Mr Ablakwa announced in a social media post on Monday.
The North Tongu MP disclosed that discussions would continue to extend the arrangement to ordinary passport holders to facilitate broader travel opportunities between citizens of both countries.
“Negotiations will continue to bring on board holders of Ordinary Passports,” the Foreign Affairs Minister stated.
According to Mr Ablakwa, the agreement forms part of efforts to deepen bilateral ties following the working visit of President John Dramani Mahama to South Korea in March this year.
He expressed satisfaction with the progress made since the visit, noting that the latest agreement reflects the commitment of both countries to advancing key areas of cooperation.