Ghana signs visa waiver agreement with Mozambique for service, diplomatic passport holders

The Republics of Ghana and Mozambique have signed a visa waiver agreement which essentially removes the need for service and diplomatic passport-holders to obtain visas before travelling to each other’s country.

The two countries signed the agreement on Monday (23 May 2022) at Jubilee House in Accra when President Felipe Jacinto Nyusi of Mozambique, as part of the itinerary for his four-day state visit to Ghana, paid a courtesy call on his Ghanaian counterpart, President Akufo-Addo.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, signed the agreement on behalf of Ghana and Verónica Nataniel Macamo Dlhovo, the minister of foreign affairs and co-operation of Mozambique, signed for her country.

The foreign ministers also signed a second agreement on general co-operation between the two nations.

Elevating relations

After supervising the signing of the two agreements, Presidents Akufo-Addo and Felipe Nyusi addressed the press in the foyer of Jubilee House.

President Akufo-Addo noted that relations between Ghana and Mozambique date back to black Africa’s struggle for independence from colonial rule and said it was his hope that the visit by President Nyusi will renew the bonds of friendship.

“We have now decided to elevate our relationship to a strategic partnership between the two countries by convening a joint permanent joint commission for co-operation to govern the relations between us,” President Akufo-Addo announced.

Valuable lessons

According to President Akufo-Addo, the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine have taught the world and Africa, in particular, valuable lessons that should help the continent to develop strong defences that will help her withstand such challenges in the future.

“This visit of His Excellency is taking place at a time when the world is dealing with the ravages of COVID-19 and the effects of rising tensions across the globe, as seen in the Russia invasion of Ukraine, as well as confronting the threats posed by terrorism and violent extremism,” President Akufo-Addo said.

“Every country on this Earth, including our own, is bearing the brunt of these developments.

“We are learning valuable lessons from them and that is to develop the necessary infrastructure and resilient systems to mitigate any such devastating impacts in future – and that no country can go it alone,” the president added.

AfCFTA / UN support

President Akufo-Addo registered the gratitude of the government and people of Ghana to Mozambique for supporting Ghana’s bid to host the secretariat of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

“The importance of the AfCFTA should not be lost on anyone, as its successful operation has the potential to transform the economic circumstances of the (African) continent,” he said.

As a reciprocal act, President Akufo-Addo assured President Nyusi that, just as his country supported Ghana’s successful candidature for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the years 2022 and 2023, Ghana will support Mozambique’s bid.

“I want to assure you that when the vote is taken in June for membership of the non-permanent seat for Eastern and Southern Africa, Ghana will be a firm and unconditional supporter of Mozambique for the seat,” Akufo-Addo said.

“Ghana is helping to ensure that Africa’s voice is heard loud and clear in the deliberations of the Security Council, both on matters affecting the continent and on global issues, and both of us are consulting broadly to define Africa’s interests,” he said.

State visit

President Felipe Nyusi, together with President Akufo-Addo, will later visit the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra and will also lay a wreath at the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum in honour of the first president of the Republic of Ghana.

President Nyusi arrived in Ghana for the four-day state visit on Sunday (22 May).

The Mozambican president was met on arrival at the Jubilee Lounge of Kotoka International Airport by the vice-president of the Republic of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

AfDB 2022 meetings

During his visit, President Nyusi will attend the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) annual general meetings, which are scheduled to take place in Accra from 23 to 27 May 2022.

This year’s meetings, which will be hybrid, will take place from 23 to 27 May at the Accra International Conference Centre.

The meetings mark a return to in-person meetings for the AfDB following purely virtual gatherings over the past two years.

The theme of the AfDB Group’s 2022 Annual Meetings is “Achieving Climate Resilience and a Just Energy Transition for Africa”.

The meetings are the bank group’s most important event of the year, attracting approximately 3,000 delegates.

They bring together the AfDB leadership and shareholders to take stock of the institution’s progress. They also provide a unique forum for representatives of governments, business, civil society, think tanks, academia and the media to discuss critical issues concerning Africa’s development.

African leaders will discuss the nature of the support they need from global development partners, as well as the estimated cost of building resilience and an equitable energy transition for their economies.

Wilberforce Asare

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