Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says Ghana has made significant progress in negotiations with the United Kingdom to exempt Ghanaian students and professionals from taking the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examinations.
In a Facebook post following a meeting with UK Foreign Secretary Edward Miliband, Ablakwa said Ghana had demonstrated that it met the minimum statistical threshold for English proficiency, raising hopes of a favourable outcome.
He said both countries remained optimistic about the negotiations, which he initiated to ease the requirements for Ghanaians seeking educational and professional opportunities in the UK.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for the two officials to review bilateral relations, with particular attention to the growth in trade and investment between Ghana and the UK.
Ablakwa said they discussed President John Dramani Mahama’s vision for reparatory justice following a Ghana-led United Nations resolution declaring the transatlantic enslavement as the gravest crime against humanity.
The two officials also considered shared priorities ahead of 2027, when Ghana is expected to chair the African Union while the UK assumes the G20 presidency.
Preparations for next month’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda were also discussed.
Ablakwa thanked Miliband for hosting him and reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to strengthening its longstanding relationship with the UK.
