Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has disclosed that 62 Ghanaians have died in Russia, while another 15 who travelled to the country remain missing amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Mr Ablakwa disclosed the figures following bilateral discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during his official visit to Russia.
A major issue raised by the Ghanaian delegation was the recruitment of young Ghanaians who are allegedly lured to Russia and subsequently end up fighting in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Ghana seeks end to recruitment of its citizens
Mr Ablakwa described the situation as a matter of serious concern to the Ghanaian government and called for measures to prevent Ghanaian youth from being illegally recruited into the conflict.
He welcomed a commitment from the Russian government to work with Ghana to stop the illegal enlistment of Ghanaian nationals.
“The Government of Ghana will continue to lead advocacy on this matter and ensure that our youth are protected from harm’s way,” the Minister said.
He stressed that Ghana has no stake in the conflict and should not continue losing its citizens to the war.
“This is not our war, and it should not be claiming Ghanaian lives,” he added.
The disclosure comes as Ghana and Russia deepen bilateral engagement, with both sides discussing broader areas of cooperation.
Ghana and Russia sign visa waiver agreement
During the visit, Ghana and Russia also signed a Visa Waiver Agreement covering holders of diplomatic and service passports.
Mr Ablakwa described the agreement as historic, noting that it is the first visa waiver arrangement between the two countries since they established formal diplomatic relations in 1958.
He said Ghana would continue negotiations with Russia to secure enhanced travel privileges for other categories of travellers as the two countries seek to expand trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges.
The Minister also expressed Ghana’s appreciation to Russia for supporting and voting for a Ghana-led United Nations resolution declaring the transatlantic enslavement and racialised chattel as the gravest crime against humanity.
He said the official visit is expected to help identify broader areas of strategic cooperation between Ghana and Russia.
