President John Dramani Mahama and French President Emmanuel Macron held wide-ranging discussions at the Élysée Palace in Paris on Thursday, October 30, on the sidelines of the 2025 Paris Peace Forum. The talks focused on deepening security cooperation, boosting economic development, and promoting regional stability.
President Macron began by extending condolences over the passing of Ghana’s former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening Ghana–France relations and commended the Paris Peace Initiative.
A key highlight of the meeting was Ghana’s request for French assistance in combating piracy in its territorial waters. President Mahama emphasised the need to safeguard Ghana’s maritime security amid rising threats in the Gulf of Guinea.
Discussions also covered a proposed French concessionary loan to support Ghana’s health sector, pending parliamentary approval. Mahama urged Macron to leverage his influence with the International Monetary Fund to facilitate access to the facility from the French Development Bank, citing Ghana’s improved debt-to-GDP ratio.
As African Union Champion of African Financial Institutions, Mahama called for collaboration to renegotiate loan agreements and secure lower interest rates for infrastructure projects. He also highlighted Ghana’s strategic role as host of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and stressed the importance of enhancing road infrastructure to boost intra-African trade.
President Mahama showcased Ghana’s one-million-coders initiative, which has enrolled over 200,000 students, and sought French support to train more French language teachers to strengthen bilingual education.
President Macron welcomed the proposals, highlighting opportunities for collaboration at upcoming events, including the VivaTech Summit in Nairobi in May 2026, the AU-EU Summit in Angola, and the June 2026 G7 Summit, where France intends to advocate for stronger international support for Ghana.
The Ghanaian leader also raised the issue of reparations for slavery, which France supports, noting that the discussion should recognise the involvement of multiple actors beyond Western powers.
Both leaders discussed the worsening security situation in the Sahel, including rising terrorist activity across Mali and other Alliance of Sahel States (AES) countries. President Macron commended Mahama’s leadership in the subregion and pledged France’s continued support for Ghana’s development agenda.