The Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Khadija Iddrisu on Wednesday, 14th January, 2026 held a meeting with the Director of the First Africa Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Mr. Taro Kawase with a view to strengthening the long-standing bilateral relations between Ghana and Japan.
Ambassador Khadija Iddrisu reaffirmed Ghana’s appreciation of Japan’s continued partnership and support, noting that relations between the two countries have remained cordial, productive and mutually beneficial over the years. She underscored Government’s commitment to further deepening cooperation through sustained high-level engagement, trade and investment promotion, education, capacity building and people-to-people exchanges. She emphasised the importance of leveraging upcoming anniversaries which mark significant milestones in Ghana–Japan relations to enhance the visibility of ongoing cooperation and strengthen public understanding of the partnership.
Mr. Kawase highlighted ongoing engagements between Ghana and Japan, including a Ghana–Japan joint public-private business mission to Ghana, involving senior Japanese Government officials and a delegation of thirty-five (35) Japanese companies exploring trade and investment opportunities. He noted that the mission reflects growing interest by Japanese businesses in Ghana’s economy and their desire to better understand the country’s investment climate. Mr. Kawase expressed optimism that the mission would lead to expanded business opportunities and contribute to strengthened economic cooperation between the two countries, in line with Japan’s broader engagement with Ghana and underscored the importance of sustained dialogue and follow-up to support private sector investment decisions.
Both sides welcomed proposals to expand cooperation in education and capacity building, citing partnerships between Ghanaian and Japanese universities as critical to strengthening long-term bilateral relations and human capital development. The meeting further reviewed the upcoming anniversaries, including one hundred years of engagement between Ghana and Japan in the cocoa and chocolate value chain, marked by the centenary legacy of Meiji Corporation’s first importation of cocoa from Ghana to Japan, as well as the centenary of Dr. Hideyo Noguchi’s historic voyage and work in Ghana. It was agreed that these milestones present an opportunity to highlight the depth of relations, celebrate shared history and enhance public awareness of the enduring partnership between the two countries.
Present at the meeting were the Acting Coordinating Director for Political and Economic, Ambassador Harold Adlai Agyemang, the Ambassador of Japan to Ghana, His Excellency Hiroshi Yoshimoto and other officials from the Ministry and Embassy of Japan.
