GHANA AT 50: A WORLD VIEW

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ACCRA 000483 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: BR CH ECON GH IN PGOV PHUM PREL RS SUBJECT: GHANA AT 50: A WORLD VIEW REF: A. ACCRA 285 ¶B. ACCRA 286 ¶C. ACCRA 314 ¶D. ACCRA 321 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: This is the seventh and final in a series of scene setter cables looking at Ghana at 50 and the third looking at Ghana's external relations. Throughout its history Ghana has been independent and vocal on the international stage. It has preferred multilateral solutions, especially through the U.N., ECOWAS and the AU. Ghana still votes with the G-77 in many international circles and has good relations with most countries in the world. President Kufuor has enhanced Ghana's global leadership position, stressed economic diplomacy and championed West African integration. End summary. ¶2. (U) Ghana's external relations remain consistent with the four pillars of Nkrumah's foreign policy: a commitment to multilateralism, pan-Africanism, non-alignment, and good neighborliness (septel). President Kufuor has sought to play an active, positive global leadership role. He has maintained good relations with most countries in the world, expanding ties with China and India, forging new links with Brazil and Israel, strengthening relations with the United States and Western Europe, and further solidifying Ghana's role as an African leader. ¶3. (SBU) As MFA Supervising Director of Political Affairs Edwin Aggrey recently told us, Ghana's relations are based on its interests, which can at times vary from U.S. interests but are tied to fundamental values of democracy, human rights, and respect for sovereignty. For the first time in 28 years, in 2006 President Kufuor brought the heads of Ghana,s diplomatic missions to Accra for a meeting that stressed economic diplomacy. He emphasized cultivating public/private sector partnerships for commercial, investment and trade opportunities in Ghana. In addition to commercial links, assistance levels are an important priority for Ghana's foreign policy. -------------- Strong Ties with the West -------------- ¶4. (U) Ghana has strong historical, economic, political, and personal ties with the West. Because of its colonial heritage, Ghana has maintained particularly close ties with the United Kingdom and is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. France has strong ties with Ghana, including a development assistance program, French language teaching, security cooperation and cultural activities. Canada and Australia have identified Ghana as a priority African country. Ghana receives significant aid from other Western partners and maintains good relations with Europe and the United States (septel). -------------- Good Relations with Asia -------------- ¶5. (SBU) China: China has always had a close relationship with Ghana. At independence, Nkrumah sought close ties to China and the relationship was strong during the Rawlings' government. China has supported Ghana with significant infrastructure projects (including a National Theater),aid, debt relief and training for laborers. China provided Ghana with a nuclear research reactor in 1994. Future plans include: a $600 million loan to finance construction of a 400 megawatt hydro plant/dam at Bui, a $100 million loan to support a rural telephone network, and support for tilapia fish farming and medical services. Ghana is concerned that China will flood its market with cheap wax print textiles and fake kente cloth (but has ironically contracted with China to provide special "Ghana at 50" cloth). Ghana joined 48 other ACCRA 00000483 002 OF 003 African nations in attending a Chinese summit in November 2006 for charting a roadmap of cooperation between China and Africa for 2007-2009. ¶6. (SBU) India: Ghana appreciates the fact that India was also one of the founding members of the non-aligned movement. The two countries have maintained good relations since Ghana's independence. India has provided Ghana with computer and other technical training and concessionary funding for the restoration of Nkrumah,s presidential complex, rural electrification, and telecommunications infrastructure. India and eight West African countries, including Ghana, set up TEAM-9 (Technical and Economic Approach for Africa-India Movement) in 2005. The TEAM-9 ministerial was held in Ghana in May 2006. The group seeks to speed up the economic, social, and cultural development of its members through the transfer of technology and knowledge between government and the private sector. ¶7. (U) Japan: Ghana has warm relations with Japan. Japan has provided scholarships for Ghanaians to study in Japanese institutions and young Japanese volunteers teach science, mathematics and technology in Ghana. Ghana signed a non-project grant agreement of 1.4 billion yen with Japan in February 2007 for development-related machinery and equipment. -------------- Balancing Act in the Middle East -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Ghana plays a delicate balancing act in the Middle East. It is committed to the UN,s position of a two-state formula between Israel and Palestine and sees this as being the key issue for Middle East peace. President Kufuor opened an Embassy in Tel Aviv and sought improved relations with Israel. At the same time, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran and Egypt all invest in Ghana and provide loans and grants bilaterally and through the Arab Bank and Arab League. Commenting on Ghana's balancing act in the region, Professor Kwame Boafo-Arthur, Chairman of the Department of Political Science at the University of Ghana, claimed &it would be very foolish for Ghana to make a public statement of concern over Iraq or Iran8 because Ghana wants good relations with both countries and covets its assistance from both the West and Middle Eastern countries. -------------- Weakening Ties with Russia -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Relations with Russia have been declining since the Soviet Union collapsed. However, Ghana still receives military equipment from Russia, highlighted by the recent purchase of Russian helicopters. Russia exports to Ghana include metals, fertilizers, paper, optical equipment, soft drinks, rubber, electrical equipment and some automobiles. Russia also grants 30 scholarships each year to Ghanaian students to study in Russian universities. -------------- Historical Relations with Latin America -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Cuba: Ghana has strong traditional ties to Cuba that date to Nkrumah's socialist rule and non-aligned policies. Ghana still values the contribution made by Cuban doctors and veterinarians. ¶11. (SBU) Brazil: Brazil has been cultivating ties with Ghana, with aid and business ties increasing following the 2005 visit to Ghana of President Lula da Silva and Kufuor's reciprocal visit to Brazil. Ghana and Brazil have significant trade relations, and Brazil is setting up an agricultural research institute in Ghana that will be one of ACCRA 00000483 003 OF 003 only four it has opened worldwide. A high-level delegation from Brazil visited Ghana in December 2006 to conduct a technical assessment of the energy situation for future assistance to Ghana. The two countries also share an important cultural bond, with a large number of Africans in the transatlantic slave trade ending up in Brazil. During his trip to Brazil, Kufuor attended a conference on the African Diaspora. -------------- Focus on Africa -------------- ¶12. (U) Ghana strongly supports and highly values its relationships with the AU and ECOWAS. When Ghana received the AU chair last month, it announced the scheduled AU summit in Ghana in July would focus on building a roadmap to establish Union Government for the continent. According to the MFA's Director for Africa and the AU, the ultimate goal to be discussed in this meeting is Africa's political and economic integraton, in fulfillment of OAU proposals from the 1960s. ¶13. (SBU) Ghana's policy toward other West Arican countries is guided by "good neighborlines," which in practice means cooperation whle at times quietly encouraging democracy and stability. Ghana has close ties with Nigeria. Nigerian President Obasanjo reportedly has offered Ghana 80 megawatts of power and has agreed to cover Ghana,s energy obligations to Togo and Benin (at this point, Nigeria is only covering Ghana's power exports to Benin). In 2006, Ghana became an associate member of La Francophonie, an international organization of French-speaking countries. Foreign Minister Nana Akufo-Addo noted, &this is of significant strategic mutual benefit because of our geographic, historic and even blood ties with Francophone countries.8 He further added, &our lives are intimately linked with the French world, particularly in our sub-region.8 ¶14. (U) Ghana is clearly focused on regional integration, hoping to play a leadership role in a broader West African market of 250 million people. Ghana supports the adoption by ECOWAS countries of a single currency. (The current plan calls for Anglophone countries by 2009 to share a common currency, called the Eco. After this, plans call for integration with the Francophone countries by 2011 for all of ECOWAS.) -------------- Comment -------------- ¶15. (SBU) Ghana is a positive advocate for democracy and peace in the world, often working in multilateral settings, with an emphasis on Africa. As in our relations with other close allies, we should not expect congruence and support from Ghana on all issues. Ghana still votes with the G-77 in many international fora, at times at odds with U.S. interests. It maintains good relations with China, Iran, and Cuba. While acknowledging that we have values and interests in common, MFA Supervising Director Aggrey (a former Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington) summed up U.S.-Ghana relations by stating: "Thank you for all you have done for us -- like Oliver Twist said, we want more." Unfortunately, fifty years after independence, this statement captures the central role of assistance in defining Ghana's external relations with most countries in the world. End Comment. BRIDGEWATER