By: Jennifer Nerkie Kenney
Ghana and the United Kingdom have begun steps to deepen their diplomatic engagement, with discussions underway to elevate their bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has announced.
The Minister disclosed this on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, after hosting the British High Commissioner to Ghana, His Excellency Christian Rogg, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Accra, where both sides reviewed cooperation priorities for the year ahead.
“Ghana and the UK have commenced processes intended to elevate our bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership,” the Minister said.
According to the Minister, the meeting assessed the growing strength of relations between the two countries and aligned priority focus areas for 2026 in line with the vision of President John Mahama.
He noted that the engagement identified several sectors for deeper collaboration, including security, trade, job creation, health, education, governance, and constitutional review.
“We assessed our increasingly buoyant bilateral relations and aligned our priority areas of focus for 2026 consistent with the vision of President John Mahama,” the Minister stated.
The Minister further called for a government to government framework to protect Ghanaian health professionals working or seeking to work in the United Kingdom, stressing the need for improved working conditions and structured cooperation.
He also appealed for Ghanaian students and professionals to be exempted from the International English Language Testing System requirements and associated fees, citing Ghana’s long-standing use of English as the medium of instruction.
“I made a special appeal for Ghana to be exempted from the International English Language Testing System and the required fees payable by Ghanaian students and professionals,” he said.
At the close of the meeting, the Minister described the discussions as fruitful and expressed optimism about future cooperation between the two countries.
