The President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has reaffirmed his country’s long-standing friendship and partnership with Ghana, highlighting new areas of cooperation and announcing a €65 million (approximately GH₵823 million) support package for development projects.

Speaking at the Jubilee House in Accra during his three-day state visit, President Steinmeier described Ghana as “a living democracy, a key regional actor, and an important partner for Germany in West Africa”.

The visit, his fourth to Ghana, marks 50 years of German–Ghanaian development cooperation.

President Steinmeier noted that the two nations had built a solid foundation for sustainable economic growth, education, renewable energy, and youth development since Ghana’s independence.

He revealed that the newly approved funding by the German Bundestag will support joint projects in various sectors, including health, digital innovation, and vocational training.

“Together, we are creating the foundations for sustainable economic development that will benefit both Ghana and Germany,” he said.

President Steinmeier emphasised Germany’s commitment to supporting Ghana’s youth through skills development and training opportunities. He noted ongoing partnerships to train young professionals in health care, pharmaceuticals, and the digital economy, as well as initiatives to improve energy efficiency and expand renewable energy production.

He also announced an agreement between the two countries to hold regular high-level political consultations on bilateral, regional, and international matters of mutual interest.

On trade, President Steinmeier described Ghana as one of Germany’s most important partners in sub-Saharan Africa, with bilateral trade growing by more than 25 percent last year to reach €626 million (GH₵8.3 billion). He expressed optimism that trade and investment between the two countries would continue to expand.

The German leader noted that Ghana’s stability, educated workforce, English-language advantage, and proximity to Europe made it an attractive destination for German investors.

Accompanying him on the visit is a delegation of business leaders from sectors including infrastructure, technology, and medical innovation.

President Steinmeier also underscored the importance of collaboration in science and research, citing the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine as a model partnership between Ghanaian and German institutions. The centre works with the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine and Berlin’s Charité University on vaccine research and epidemic prevention.

He announced that Germany was supporting the expansion of a vocational training centre and a new nursing school near Kumasi, where 200 specialised nurses will be trained annually for Ghana’s health sector beginning next year.

On education, President Steinmeier said Germany continued to support academic exchange, noting that over 1,500 Ghanaian students and researchers benefited from scholarships through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in 2024.

Turning to regional and global issues, he commended Ghana’s leadership in promoting peace and stability in West Africa and reiterated Germany’s support for joint efforts to combat terrorism and transnational crime in the Sahel region.

He also reaffirmed Germany’s support for Africa’s permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council, backing the Ezulwini Consensus and the Common African Position for two permanent seats and additional non-permanent seats for African countries.

“Germany and Ghana share the conviction that a rule-based international order, grounded in the principles of the UN Charter, is essential for global peace and cooperation,” President Steinmeier stated.

He concluded by expressing optimism about the future of Ghana–Germany relations, saying: “We have many common tasks ahead of us, and I am convinced that there is still a great deal of potential in our partnership that we will continue to build together.”

President Steinmeier’s visit includes engagements with young tech entrepreneurs in Accra and a tour of the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi, to inspect joint projects and meet researchers and trainees.