Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has announced that the government of Ghana has successfully evacuated the first group of Ghanaian citizens from Iran to Turkey.
The move forms part of an emergency response to rising tensions in the Middle East.
At the same time, those in Israel will also be considered as soon as possible.
He disclosed this in a Facebook post today, Friday, June 20, 2025.
According to him, he held separate meetings with ambassadors of Israel and Iran to discuss the safety and evacuation of Ghanaians currently residing in these countries.
The minister added that the engagements with Israeli Ambassador H.E. Roey Gilad on Tuesday and Iranian Ambassador H.E. Ali Ghomshi on Wednesday formed part of President John Mahama’s administration’s emergency evacuation strategy.
“So far, the first batch of Ghanaians in Iran has been evacuated to Turkey successfully. Our fellow nationals living in Israel will be evacuated shortly,” he said.
Read the full post from the Minister below
This week, I invited the ambassadors of Israel and Iran to my office for separate meetings.
On Tuesday, I met with H.E. Roey Gilad of Israel and then held talks with H.E. Ali Ghomshi of Iran on Wednesday.
The meetings afforded me the opportunity to convey the Mahama Administration’s emergency evacuation strategy for Ghanaians living in their countries with the two ambassadors for onward communication to their governments to facilitate border access approvals.
So far, the first batch of Ghanaians in Iran have been evacuated to Turkey successfully. Our fellow nationals living in Israel will be evacuated shortly.
These engagements have also enriched our understanding of the ongoing conflict.
It is worth emphasizing that in the meeting with the Israeli Ambassador, I registered Ghana’s strong displeasure at his recent public pronouncements questioning Ghana’s voting pattern at international organizations.
I urged him to respect our sovereign right to make independent decisions based on our longstanding globally acclaimed foreign policy principles anchored on Ghana’s national interest as espoused by the 1992 Constitution, pacifist approach to peace building, non-alignment, respect for the UN Charter, adherence to the rule-based international order, belief in multilateralism and strict compliance with international law.
These cherished principles will continue to guide Ghana’s foreign policy imperatives within all international organizations, particularly at this defining moment when Ghana is serving on the UN Human Rights Council and chairing the governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Finally, I re-echoed Ghana’s demand for both countries to ceasefire and opt for a peaceful diplomatic resolution of their concerns.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
