Accra, Jul 2 (PTI) India and Ghana on Wednesday elevated their ties to the level of comprehensive partnership after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with President John Dramani Mahama.
In his media statement shortly after the talks, Prime Minister Modi said both sides have set a target of doubling the two-way trade in the next five years and that India is not just a partner but a co-traveller in Ghana's development journey.
The delegation-level meeting between the two leaders took place hours after Modi arrived in this capital city of the West African country on the first leg of his five-nation tour.
In a special gesture, the prime minister was received at the airport by President Mahama. It is the first prime ministerial visit from India to Ghana in three decades.
Following the Modi-Mahama talks, the two sides inked four pacts that will provide for cooperation in several areas including culture and traditional medicine.
"President Mahama and I have decided to give our bilateral relationship the status of a comprehensive partnership," PM Modi said with Mahama by his side.
The prime minister said both sides were unanimous that terrorism is the enemy of humanity and that it was decided to further strengthen mutual cooperation in countering the menace.
"We expressed our gratitude to Ghana for its cooperation in India's fight against terrorism," Modi said.
In the field of defence and security, we will move forward with the mantra of "security through solidarity", he added.
India-Ghana cooperation will be enhanced in areas such as training of armed forces, maritime security, defence supply and cyber security, he added.
The prime minister said both sides expressed serious concerns over the conflicts in West Asia and Europe and called for finding solutions to the problems through dialogue and diplomacy.
"This is not the era of war; problems should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy," Modi said.
The bilateral relations between India and Ghana, one of the fastest-growing economies in West Africa, are marked by a robust trade and investment partnership.
India is among the top trading partners of Ghana and is the largest destination for Ghanaian exports, driven largely by India's import of gold.
Ghana is undergoing a major economic restructuring and Prime Minister Modi assured the country of all possible assistance in this regard.