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President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana and French President Emmanuel Macron have held wide-ranging bilateral talks at the Élysée Palace in Paris, focusing on security, economic cooperation, and regional stability on the sidelines of the 2025 Paris Peace Forum.
The meeting began with a moment of condolence, as President Macron extended sympathies over the passing of Ghana’s former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening ties between Ghana and France under the Paris Peace Initiative.
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A major highlight of the discussions was Ghana’s request for French assistance to combat piracy in its territorial waters. President Mahama urged France to help protect Ghana’s maritime borders amid increasing threats from pirates operating in the Gulf of Guinea.
The talks also covered a pending French concessionary loan aimed at revitalising Ghana’s health sector. President Mahama appealed to President Macron to support Ghana’s access to the facility from the French Development Bank and engage the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to fast-track approval, citing Ghana’s improving debt-to-GDP ratio.
As the African Union (AU) Champion of African Financial Institutions, President Mahama called for a joint effort to renegotiate Africa’s loan terms, particularly by lowering interest rates on infrastructure financing. He highlighted Ghana’s strategic position as host of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) secretariat and stressed the need for better road networks to boost intra-African trade.
Touching on digital transformation, President Mahama outlined Ghana’s “One Million Coders” initiative, which has already enrolled 200,000 students. He sought French collaboration to train more French language teachers, enhancing multilingual education across Ghana.
President Macron, in response, identified several upcoming opportunities for partnership—including the 2026 VivaTech Summit in Nairobi, where Ghana could showcase its digital innovation projects; the AU-EU summit in Angola; and the G7 Summit in June 2026, where France would advocate for greater development support for Ghana.
Another key topic was the global reparations debate for slavery. President Mahama reaffirmed Ghana’s leadership in advocating for reparative justice, to which President Macron expressed support, noting France’s stance in criminalising slavery while encouraging a balanced conversation acknowledging the broader historical context.
The two leaders also exchanged views on regional security challenges in the Sahel, especially rising terrorist activities in Mali and other Alliance of Sahel States (AES) members. President Macron praised Ghana’s stabilising role and President Mahama’s leadership within the subregion, pledging France’s continued support for Ghana’s development and security agenda.
The meeting underscored a renewed partnership between Ghana and France — built on shared democratic values, mutual respect, and a commitment to sustainable growth and peace in West Africa.
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