Ablakwa and Saudi counterpart discuss rail and energy investment ahead of Ghana's AU chairmanship

Pinned summary · as of 03:05

Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, sat down with his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, during a visit to New York. Railways and energy infrastructure were at the centre of their talks, which came as Ghana readies to take the chair of the African Union.

What we know

• Mr Ablakwa and Prince Faisal held a bilateral meeting in New York.
• Investment in railway development and energy infrastructure was the main theme of the discussion between Ghana and Saudi Arabia.
• Mr Ablakwa said both governments would move faster on high-level contacts intended to bring in investment, and he tied that effort to President John Dramani Mahama's Reset Agenda.
• The two ministers agreed to coordinate more closely on continental priorities, with Ghana due to assume the African Union chair.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  Opemsuo 104.7 alone says the encounter happened a week earlier, alongside the UN General Assembly, and that Mr Ablakwa named railways and energy as two priority sectors under the Reset Agenda. Rainbow Radio Online does not report either detail.
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  Rainbow Radio Online alone quotes Mr Ablakwa as saying the talks centred on widening existing diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries.

Why it matters for Ghana

Rail and power are among the sectors Ghana needs to grow if it is to move goods and keep the lights on, and both are costly to build without outside capital. Saudi interest could matter for projects in these areas, but no investment amount or project was announced. The alignment on African Union matters also signals how Accra plans to work with partners once it takes the chair.