Ghana and Peru have commemorated nearly four decades of bilateral relations with the launch of a commemorative book in Accra, using the occasion to signal ambitions for deeper trade and academic cooperation that both governments say remains well below its potential.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Peru in Accra, launched the book titled “Peru-Ghana: A Journey of Friendship and Cooperation” on Thursday, March 5, at a ceremony attended by diplomats and government officials. The publication forms part of Peru’s “Immortalising Bilateral Relations” series, documenting the country’s diplomatic engagements across its global partnerships.
Ghana and Peru established formal diplomatic relations on June 23, 1987. Bilateral trade volumes reached US$27.4 million in 2023, with Ghana’s exports to Peru growing by 33.5 percent and Peru’s exports to Ghana rising by 33.3 percent in the same year, though officials have consistently noted that the figures fall far short of what is possible given the complementary strengths of both economies.
Peruvian Ambassador to Ghana Liliana Gómez has previously highlighted Peru’s newly inaugurated Megaport of Chancay as a strategic opportunity for Ghana, describing it as a gateway that gives Ghanaian goods direct access to South American and Asia-Pacific markets. Ghana’s position as the host of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, she noted, gives it equivalent gateway status into West Africa and the broader continent for Peruvian businesses.
Key sectors identified for expanded collaboration include agribusiness, sustainable mining, fisheries, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) development. On the academic side, a proposed institutional partnership between the Spanish Section of the Department of Modern Languages at the University of Ghana and Peruvian institutions has been under discussion, with officials previously describing its materialisation as imminent.
The book launch, timed to coincide with Ghana’s 69th Independence Day celebrations, marks a symbolic moment in a relationship that has grown from modest beginnings into one with increasingly concrete trade, cultural, and educational dimensions.
