VZCZCXRO2224
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHAR #0483/01 0601805
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 011805Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3849
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 0176
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0041
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0028
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0201
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 0047
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0039
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0251
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0054
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 0630
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0084

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