Ghana and Russia have signed a visa waiver agreement for holders of Diplomatic and Service Passports, marking a new milestone in 68 years of bilateral relations.
The agreement was signed on Monday, August 17, 2026, in Moscow at the start of a three-day official visit by Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, at the invitation of his Russian counterpart, H.E. Sergey Lavrov.
First of Its Kind Since 1958
According to the Foreign Ministry, this is the first visa waiver agreement between Ghana and Russia since the two countries established formal diplomatic relations on 14th January,1958.
Officials say the deal is the first step toward broader negotiations for enhanced travel privileges for all categories of travelers as both countries seek to deepen trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges.
Bilateral Talks Cover Education, Energy, Security
During the bilateral talks, the two Ministers pledged to use the visit as an opportunity to discuss broader areas of strategic importance.
Key areas identified include educational exchanges, cooperation in energy, agriculture, security and defence, and minerals exploration.
The discussions also touched on Ghana’s industrialization agenda and job creation drive.
Speaking at a press briefing, Hon. Ablakwa expressed government’s appreciation for Russia’s cooperation and support.
“We value Russia’s cooperation and support towards Ghana’s drive for industrialization and job creation,” he said.
Strengthening Ghana-Russia TiesThe visa waiver is expected to facilitate easier movement of government officials and foster stronger diplomatic engagement between Accra and Moscow.
The Foreign Minister’s visit is also expected to yield further agreements in education, with Russia recently doubling scholarships for Ghanaian students to 240, and in energy, including cooperation on Ghana’s peaceful nuclear power programme.
