President John Mahama and President Emmanuel Macron in a handshake
President John Dramani Mahama and French President Emmanuel Macron have held discussions on security cooperation, economic development, and regional stability at the Élysée Palace in Paris, France.
The meeting was organised on the sidelines of the 2025 Paris Peace Forum.
Both leaders praised the Paris Peace Initiative and the strengthening of relations between the two countries.
President Mahama, during the meeting, called for France’s assistance in combating piracy in Ghana’s territorial waters in order to protect maritime integrity.
The leaders also discussed the deteriorating security situation in the Sahel region, particularly terrorist incursions in Mali and other countries of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
President Mahama used the opportunity to appeal for France influence with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in order to secure Ghana’s access to the facility from the French Development Bank, noting Ghana’s improved debt-to-GDP ratio.
He used his office as the African Union (AU) Champion of African Financial Institutions to call for stronger collaboration to renegotiate loan agreements with lower interest rates for infrastructure projects in the country.
He further emphasised Ghana’s position on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) secretariat and the need for enhanced road infrastructure to promote intra-African trade.
Mahama   requested the support of France to train additional French language teachers to improve language education in Ghanaian schools, while highlighting Ghana’s one-million-coders programme, which has currently registered 200,000 students.
President Macron, on his part, noted several upcoming opportunities for partnership which, includes the VivaTech Summit to be organised in Nairobi in May 2026, the African Union-European Union summit in Angola, and the June 2026 G7 summit, where Ghana could showcase its digital innovation capabilities, and France to advocate for increased support for Ghana.
President Macron praised President Mahama’s government and Ghana’s economic reforms, pledging to continue France’s support to Ghana’s development agenda.
By Florence Asamoah Adom