{"id":16334,"date":"2026-06-19T14:23:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T14:23:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/?p=16334"},"modified":"2026-06-19T14:23:27","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T14:23:27","slug":"ghana-open-to-reciprocal-e-visa-fee-options-with-eu-foreign-minister","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/ghana-open-to-reciprocal-e-visa-fee-options-with-eu-foreign-minister\/","title":{"rendered":"Ghana open to reciprocal e-visa fee options with EU \u2014 Foreign Minister"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has stated that \u00a0the government is willing to work out a reciprocal e-visa fee reduction with European Union (EU) countries for the mutual benefit of the two sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said Ghana was open to \u201ca reciprocal discussion\u201d on the subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Responding to the EU\u2019s concern over Ghana\u2019s new e-visa fees, Mr Ablakwa said visa fees were approved by Parliament under the Fees and Charges Act, but the government would \u201cconvince our colleagues in Parliament\u201d if EU member states reduce their own fees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking at the opening session of the Ghana-EU Partnership Dialogue in Accra last Thursday, Mr Ablakwa said Ghana-EU relations were at an \u201call-time high\u201d, with the two parties deepening relations in recent times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFrom the foundations established in development cooperation, the partnership has evolved to embrace trade, investment, governance, climate action, peace and security, and human development. The partnership is today comprehensive and forward-looking,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He indicated that trade volumes had improved remarkably in excess of a billion dollars, with the EU remaining a cherished trading partner.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President John Dramani Mahama delivered the keynote address at the dialogues, which also atracted a high ministerial participation<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mr Ablakwa said the year under review had been \u201cexciting\u201d, as Ghana became the first African country to formalise a Security and Defence Partnership Agreement with the EU, and also the first African country to secure sustainable timber certification under the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe were the second country, only after Indonesia, to secure what the experts say is a very, very complicated certification,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The minister said the government was proud to have played a leading role under President Mahama\u2019s leadership as African Union (AU) champion on reparatory justice, which led to&nbsp;United Nation (UN) Resolution A\/RES\/80\/250 declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said cooperation with the EU since the resolution had been constructive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cKey EU partners like France have taken the lead in openly committing to work with Ghana to achieve the objectives of the UN Resolution. And President Macron will be addressing virtually the Next Steps Conference that President Mahama has convened from the 17th to the 19th of this month,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said the Dutch government had presented a catalogue of artefacts identified for retention and return, while Germany was fully represented and would return some artefacts obtained from the Volta Region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Catholic Church and the Church of Scotland, the minister said, had also issued formal apologies, with Pope Leo XIV affirming the resolution\u2019s principles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cGhana does not seek to create divisions or to open wounds. That approach has given all our international partners the confidence that they need to work with us on this important UN resolution,\u201d Mr Ablakwa said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mr Ablakwa said Ghana-EU projects were now aligned with the President\u2019s Reset Agenda, including the 24-Hour Economy initiative, Feed Ghana Programme and the Women\u2019s Development Bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Migration<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mr Ablakwa said his ministry was closely following the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum intended to take effect on June 12, and expressed the hope that its implementation would be humane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe are willing to work with the EU to address particularly irregular migration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We want to have stronger laws, stronger enforcement to deal with human trafficking,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ablakwa political analysis<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He condemned the recruitment of Ghanaian youth by some European nations to fight wars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With President Mahama set to chair the African Union from February, next year, Mr Ablakwa said Ghana wanted synergies with the EU ahead of the next AU-EU Dialogue.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bottom of Form<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.graphic.com.gh\/news\/general-news\/ghana-news-ghana-open-to-reciprocal-e-visa-fee-options-with-eu-foreign-minister.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a> for source<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has stated that \u00a0the government is willing to work out a reciprocal e-visa fee reduction with European Union (EU) countries for the mutual benefit of the two sides. He said Ghana was open to \u201ca reciprocal discussion\u201d on the subject. Responding to the EU\u2019s concern over Ghana\u2019s<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":16335,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"yes","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[153],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-articles"],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13259,"url":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/ghana-secures-eu-market-access-for-legally-sourced-timber-from-october\/","url_meta":{"origin":16334,"position":0},"title":"Ghana secures EU market access for legally-sourced timber from October","author":"Tracy Mensah","date":"May 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Ghana will from October 8 this year, have unhindered access to the European Union (EU) market for its legally sourced timber products.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News Articles&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News Articles","link":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/category\/news-articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-08-29_0_1213.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-08-29_0_1213.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-08-29_0_1213.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-08-29_0_1213.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16258,"url":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/why-the-eu-ghana-partnership-matters\/","url_meta":{"origin":16334,"position":1},"title":"Why the EU\u2013Ghana partnership matters","author":"Paul N.","date":"June 12, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The annual Ghana-EU Partnership dialogue on 11 June 2026 carries special significance. It marks 50 years of EU presence in Ghana\u2014a partnership that has evolved from development and trade cooperation into one of the country\u2019s most important security and political relationships. Me and my fellow Ambassadors of the 10 EU\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News Articles&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News Articles","link":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/category\/news-articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ESQ-Elsie-14-1-1110x550-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ESQ-Elsie-14-1-1110x550-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ESQ-Elsie-14-1-1110x550-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ESQ-Elsie-14-1-1110x550-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ESQ-Elsie-14-1-1110x550-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13182,"url":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/ghana-begins-legal-timber-export-under-new-eu-legal-framework\/","url_meta":{"origin":16334,"position":2},"title":"Ghana begins legal timber export under new EU legal framework","author":"Tracy Mensah","date":"October 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The Forestry Commission has issued the first six certificates to five Ghanaian companies to export timber and timber products to the European market under the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) licensing regime. The certificates, which are part of the 131 timber utilisation contracts (TUCs) ratified by Parliament on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News Articles&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News Articles","link":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/category\/news-articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2025-08-22_0_Baffoe-Bonnie.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2025-08-22_0_Baffoe-Bonnie.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2025-08-22_0_Baffoe-Bonnie.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2025-08-22_0_Baffoe-Bonnie.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14768,"url":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/eu-launches-17-3-million-green-project\/","url_meta":{"origin":16334,"position":3},"title":"EU launches \u00a317.3 million green project","author":"Michael Teye","date":"January 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The European Union (EU) has launched a \u00a3 17.3-million Green, Digital and Inclusive Private Sector Development (GDI PSD) project aimed at promoting greener businesses in the country. It was launched in collaboration with the Kingdom of Netherlands, France and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), with Expertise France, Netherlands\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News Articles&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News Articles","link":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/category\/news-articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/EU-Launch-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/EU-Launch-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/EU-Launch-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/EU-Launch-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/EU-Launch-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/EU-Launch-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15927,"url":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/eu-announces-e1bn-africa-package-at-ghana-partnership-milestone\/","url_meta":{"origin":16334,"position":4},"title":"EU announces \u20ac1bn Africa package at Ghana partnership milestone","author":"Michael Teye","date":"May 15, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The European Union (EU) has unveiled a \u20ac1 billion investment package for Africa under its Global Gateway Initiative to support infrastructure development, economic growth and digital transformation. The package, announced by the EU Ambassador to Ghana, Rune Skinnebach, forms part of Team Europe\u2019s broader strategy to deepen economic cooperation with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News Articles&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News Articles","link":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/category\/news-articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ESQ-Elsie-14-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ESQ-Elsie-14-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ESQ-Elsie-14-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ESQ-Elsie-14-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ESQ-Elsie-14-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":18934,"url":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/constitution-review-implementation-ncce-media-have-critical-roles-to-play-eu\/","url_meta":{"origin":16334,"position":5},"title":"Constitution review implementation: NCCE, media have critical roles to play \u2014 EU","author":"Paul N.","date":"September 4, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Deputy European Union Ambassador to Ghana, Jonas Claes, has highlighted the critical role of the media and NCCE in strengthening civic education as Ghana prepares for its constitutional review process.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News Articles&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News Articles","link":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/category\/news-articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/SNBN-11.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/SNBN-11.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/SNBN-11.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/SNBN-11.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/SNBN-11.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ESQ-Elsie-6.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16334","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16334"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16334\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16336,"href":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16334\/revisions\/16336"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16335"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16334"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}