Israel eyes groundbreaking partnerships with Ghana
On January 9, 2025, 11:05 AM
Israelās Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sharren Haskel, has expressed her nationās readiness to collaborate with Ghana across key sectors, aiming to foster development for both countries.
Her remarks came during her first official visit to Ghana, which included attending the inauguration of President John Dramani Mahamaās second term on Tuesday (7 January) at Independence Square in Accra.
Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday (8 January) at the Embassy of the State of Israel in Accra, Haskel highlighted Ghanaās potential for partnerships in agriculture, technology, and cultural initiatives, following discussions with President Mahama and Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang.
She spoke about the Vice Presidentās passion for agriculture and food security, describing it as a promising area for collaboration.
āI think thereās many collaborations that we can do together,ā Haskel said. āOur former Prime Minister Golda Meir, she had a very special place in her heart for the African nations because sheās really identified with them and she saw how we can really share knowledge and also tools to advance and develop all of our nations.ā
Haskel also emphasised Israelās expertise in advanced farming techniques, suggesting that these could help Ghana address food security challenges.
āI think that Israel has proven itself, especially economically, in how to develop industries [and] advance technology; for example, in farming,ā she stated.
āThe deputy president was really focused on farming; sheās really worried about food security and so we have much of advanced technology in the farming industry, so there can be a lot of collaboration,ā she added.
Beyond agriculture, Haskel pointed to other areas of potential cooperation, including cybersecurity, early childhood education, and womenās empowerment.
āThereās different programmes, for example, that weāve done on early childcare and early learning, developing certain programmes in education and empowering women, and so thereās many, many fields,ā she said.
āWe said that we are going to continue and discuss a lot of these issues, and I really hope that we can form something serious about it.ā
Israelās ambassador to Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, Roey Gilad, also weighed in, highlighting renewable energy as another avenue for partnership.
āOne issue that the deputy minister and I discussed today was the possibility of solar energy. There is plenty of sun in this place; there is a cutting-edge technology in Israel concerning solar energy, and this might be another field we would like to develop,ā Gilad remarked.
The Israeli delegationās visit underlines the countryās commitment to deepening ties with Ghana, with an emphasis on innovation, development, and shared values.