Ghana and South Korea have signed a visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic andservice passports,, marking a significant milestone in nearly 50 years of bilateral relations.
The agreement was signed by Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and South Korea’s Foreign Minister, Cho Hyun, on the sidelines of the ongoing Africa-Korea Foreign Ministers Meeting.
Announcing the development, Mr. Ablakwa described the agreement as the first visa waiver arrangement between the two countries since they established formal diplomatic relations almost five decades ago.
“Ghana and South Korea today signed a historic visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic and service passports. Negotiations will continue to bring on board holders of ordinary passports,” he said.
The minister noted that the agreement forms part of efforts to deepen cooperation between the two countries following President John Mahama’s working visit to South Korea in March this year. He said government was pleased to be delivering on key priorities identified during the visit.
The visa waiver is expected to ease official travel, strengthen diplomatic engagement, and further enhance cooperation between Accra and Seoul.
Discussions are expected to continue on extending the arrangement to ordinary passport holders in the future as announced by the minister.