His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, welcomed His Counterpart Petr Pavel, President of the Czech Republic, to the Jubilee House to commence a three-day official state visit to Ghana.
This historic visit is President Pavel’s first to Ghana and represents a significant milestone in Ghana–Czech diplomatic relations, with the last presidential visit from the Czech Republic (then Czechoslovakia) occurring over six decades ago.
During his stay from April 8 to 10, 2025, President Pavel is expected to engage in a number of high-level activities aimed at deepening cooperation between the two countries.
These include:
– Bilateral talks with President Mahama focused on trade, health, education, and industrial partnerships.
– An address to a Ghana–Czech Business Forum to promote investment and economic cooperation.
– The commissioning of a Czech-funded health facility, part of the broader Vamed Health Project.
– Cultural and historical tours of the Osu Castle and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.
The visit also symbolizes growing mutual interest in strengthening ties through development projects, particularly in the healthcare and infrastructure sectors.
Below is the full speeches delivered by both presidents during their joint media briefing following their bilateral meeting.
H.E President John Mahama:
Thank you very much. Distinguished members of the media, it’s indeed an honor for me to welcome the President of the Czech Republic, His Excellency Petr Pavel, who’s on a three-day state visit to Ghana.
I also acknowledge the rest of the high-level delegation that accompanied him from the Czech Republic.
This visit marks another milestone in the long-standing cordial relations that exist between our two countries and reaffirm the political, economic, and cultural cooperation that lie at the heart of Ghana’s diplomatic engagement with the Czech Republic.
Our two countries share deep respect for democratic values and governance and human rights, and by nurturing these shared principles, we can engage in fruitful dialogue, exchange best practices, and foster mutual understanding.
In our bilateral discussions this afternoon, we acknowledged the cordial and long-standing relations that have existed between Ghana and the Czech Republic which date back to 1961 when we opened diplomatic missions in our respective countries and have been reinforced over the decades through the exchange of high-level visits and opening of resident missions in our capitals.
We also signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Political Consultation, a Bilateral Air Services Agreement, also known as Air Transport Agreement, between Ghana and the Czech Republic.
It is our hope that the implementation of these MOUs will reinvigorate and spearhead cooperation in various sectors between our two countries.
In addition, we discussed the need to expand the frontiers of our relations and cooperation with the Czech Republic, both at the bilateral and multilateral levels.
At the bilateral level, note was taken of potential for trade and economic cooperation.
I would therefore urge the private sectors of the two countries to come together to explore possible avenues for cooperation in various sectors of the Ghanaian economy.
And I am happy to note that tomorrow there is a business roundtable between Ghanaian and Czech businessmen.
On trade, we noted that through trade and investment this can serve as a bedrock of our economic relations and more could be done to increase the low levels of trade between our two countries.
In that regard, I noted that the African market has a population of over 1.3 billion people and I extended an invitation to the business community in the Czech Republic to partner with their Ghanaian counterparts to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement.
At the multilateral level, I noted the long-standing and excellent tradition of cooperation between our two countries at various international forums, including the United Nations and expressed the desire for such cooperation to continue.
This includes voting on issues that are of concern to both of us but also to support each other’s candidates that are vying for international positions.
In that regard, I called on Czech to support our candidature of Ambassador Muhammed Adam to the position of Secretary General of the United Nations Tourism Organization and reciprocally for us to support the Czech Republic for membership of the Security Council.
I assure President Petr Pavel of my confidence in Ambassador Adam’s ability to lead and cooperate with his colleagues to bring on board a strategic vision for the UN Tourism Organization.
Ladies and gentlemen of the media, I went on to commend the government of the Czech Republic for supporting Ghana’s healthcare sector through Vamed Health Projects and the construction of 12 40-bed capacity hospitals and 12 units of 2-bedroom semi-detached houses for hospital staff for the following beneficiary communities in Ghana Jumapo, Kwabeng, Nkwetia, Achiase, Suame, Drobonso, Sabronoum, Manso-NKwanta, Adukrom, Mim, Kyedie, and Kpong-Katamanso.
I raised the issue of the 50 Bridges Project which has been stalled by the debt exchange program.
I urged our two countries to explore ways of re-engineering the project to complete the 50 Bridges Program and also implement the second phase of 100 Bridges.
Furthermore, I acknowledge the continuous support of the Czech government’s lead program of medical cooperation which is commonly known as MEDEVAC which is aimed at providing healthcare to vulnerable groups as well as the exchange of medical expertise and knowledge transfer.
On the situation in the Sahel and Western African sub-region as a whole, President Pavel was briefed on the security situation and the measures being taken at the level of ECOWAS and the EU to address the issue of terrorism, violent extremism and the return of military rule in the sub-region and to restore normalcy to the affected countries.
I added that Ghana is resolute in the fight against transnational threats and the promotion of regional peace and security and welcome the support of the Czech Republic in that regard.
On the issue of climate change, Ghana and Czech Republic acknowledge that climate change stands as one of the most formidable challenges of our time that requires collective action.
We share a deep concern for the environment and recognize the urgency to combat climate change and mitigate its adverse effects.
We agree that our institutions of state, academia and business community must collaborate closely leveraging our collective expertise and resources to adopt innovative solutions, promote renewable energy and implement climate-friendly policies.
We also discuss cooperation by the Czech Republic and Ghana in responsible mining, land reclamation and cleaning of polluted waters and introducing new sustainable mining practices to Ghana’s small-scale sector.
On the issue of vocational and technical training I introduced the Ghana Labor Export Program to train youth to international proficiency to be able to work on fixed terms abroad and sought cooperation with the Czech Republic for vocational training.
I also noted that it was cooperation between the Czech Republic and the Defense Industries Holding Company that led to the revamping of the Kumasi shoe factory.
We therefore discussed the possibility of further cooperation between GIHOC and the Czech private sector to go into more industries for mutual benefit.
Following our meeting this afternoon I am hopeful that the outcomes of our fruitful discussions and the business forum tomorrow will contribute to deepening the relations that exist between Ghana and the Czech Republic in all areas of endeavor for the mutual benefit of our two peoples.
I wish Your Excellency Petr Pavel and your delegation a very fruitful stay in Accra.
President H.E Petr Pavel: Mr. President, it is my great pleasure and honor to be in your beautiful country as the first head of state after your re-election, but also as the second president in our history of diplomatic relations.
The previous visit of the then Czechoslovakian president happened more than 60 years ago, so it’s really a long tradition which we can build on.
Mr. President was so kind to make it easier for me because he went through all the issues that we discussed, so I don’t have to repeat it again.
I would like to thank you for really very generous hospitality that we were offered, and we cherish it. We see Ghana as a traditional partner in this region.
Actually, it is our key partner in terms of economic exchange.
Our exchange reached more than 33 million U.S. dollars and was the second largest exchange within a decade, despite some financial difficulties that your country is temporarily going through.
And we believe that there is a great potential for extending our cooperation into the areas mentioned already by Mr. President.
We are committed to extend the cooperation in areas that will bring benefit to both our countries.
We believe in cooperation that creates and maintains added value in the countries where it is produced.
That means we want to cooperate at the level of sharing, building common capabilities, and leaving the value here in Ghana to support your industry, your agriculture, support your society.
I brought with me a delegation of part of our business, especially with regard to food processing, health care, mining, agriculture, and water purification.
But there are many more to take part in cooperation in your country.
And I am grateful that tomorrow I will be privileged to open a hub, to open the window to check technologies that will be open to all your citizens and companies interested in what the Czech Republic has to offer.
And vice versa, it will be a gateway for our companies coming to Ghana to look for new opportunities.
I truly believe that the current global situation leads us to more thoughts about diversification, about building on existing partnerships and looking for new opportunities.
Because what we learned from existing conflicts in Europe, we face on one hand pressure security-wise from Russia, on the other economic and political from our ally United States.
And in that environment, I think we all have to learn new ways of cooperating with each other.
And I believe that we are on the right track between Czech Republic and Ghana to open that way much wider than up to now.
And we are ready to do more with your companies, with your society, with your country.
