President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana and French President Emmanuel Macron held extensive bilateral talks at the Élysée Palace on Thursday October 30, 2025, focusing on security cooperation, economic development and regional stability on the sidelines of the 2025 Paris Peace Forum.
The meeting opened on a solemn note, with President Macron offering his condolences over the recent passing of Ghana's former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.
Both leaders praised the Paris Peace Initiative and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening relations between Ghana and France.
A key focus of the discussions was Ghana's request for French assistance in combating piracy within its territorial waters.
President Mahama sought France’s support in safeguarding Ghana's maritime integrity against growing piratical threats in the Gulf of Guinea.
The two presidents also discussed a proposed French concessionary loan for Ghana's health sector, which is currently awaiting parliamentary approval.
President Mahama urged his French counterpart to leverage his influence with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help secure Ghana’s access to the facility from the French Development Bank, noting Ghana's improved debt-to-GDP ratio.
In his capacity as the African Union (AU) Champion of African Financial Institutions, President Mahama advocated for closer collaboration to renegotiate loan agreements at lower interest rates to support infrastructure development across Africa.
He further emphasised Ghana's role as host of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and highlighted the need for enhanced road infrastructure to promote intra-African trade.
President Mahama attends Paris Peace Forum
President Mahama also drew attention to Ghana’s ambitious One Million Coders Programme, which has already registered over 200,000 students.
He requested French support to train more French language teachers to improve language education in Ghanaian schools.
President Macron, in response, outlined several forthcoming opportunities for collaboration including the VivaTech Summit in Nairobi in May 2026, where Ghana could showcase its digital innovation capabilities; the African Union–European Union Summit in Angola and the June 2026 G7 Summit, where France intends to advocate for increased international support for Ghana.
President Mahama also raised the issue of reparations for slavery, an initiative currently championed by Ghana.
President Macron expressed support for the effort, noting that France had already criminalised slavery but cautioned that the reparations discourse should acknowledge the involvement of multiple actors beyond Western powers.
The two leaders additionally discussed the worsening security situation in the Sahel region, particularly terrorist incursions in Mali and other member countries of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
President Macron commended President Mahama’s leadership in the subregion and Ghana’s ongoing economic reforms, pledging France’s continued support for Ghana’s development agenda.
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