The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has held separate diplomatic engagements with the Ambassadors of Israel and Iran this week.
The Minister disclosed in a statement on Friday, June 20, that he hosted H.E. Roey Gilad of Israel on Tuesday, followed by a meeting with H.E. Ali Ghomshi of Iran on Wednesday.
The meetings, which took place at his office in Accra, were part of broader efforts by the Government of Ghana to ensure the safety of its citizens living abroad.
“The meetings afforded me the opportunity to convey the Mahama Administration’s emergency evacuation strategy for Ghanaians living in their countries with the two ambassadors for onward communication to their governments to facilitate border access approvals,” he said.
The Minister confirmed that the first batch of Ghanaian nationals in Iran has already been evacuated to Turkey, while plans are in place to evacuate those residing in Israel shortly.
Beyond the humanitarian and logistical aspects, the bilateral meetings served as a platform to share perspectives on the evolving conflict in the region.
According to the Minister, the talks have contributed meaningfully to Ghana’s understanding of the complex dynamics at play.
In his meeting with the Israeli Ambassador, the Minister said he took the opportunity to express Ghana’s dissatisfaction with recent public comments made by the envoy, in which he questioned Ghana’s voting record at international institutions.
“I urged him to respect our sovereign right to make independent decisions based on our longstanding globally acclaimed foreign policy principles anchored on Ghana’s national interest as espoused by the 1992 Constitution, pacifist approach to peace building, non-alignment, respect for the UN Charter, adherence to the rule-based international order, belief in multilateralism and strict compliance with international law,” he noted.
He reaffirmed Ghana’s continued commitment to multilateralism and international law, especially in light of its current role on the United Nations Human Rights Council and its leadership of the governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The Minister reiterated Ghana’s call for an immediate ceasefire and urged the two nations to pursue peaceful diplomatic dialogue to address their concerns.
