Ghana and Colombia have signed a maritime trade agreement to establish a direct shipping route between the Port of Tema and the Port of Cartagena, a move expected to reduce transport time and cost for businesses in both countries.

The agreement was signed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, at the closing ceremony of the CELAC Africa High Level Forum held in Bogotá. Colombia’s Vice President, Ms Francia Elena Márquez Mina, was present at the ceremony.

The forum, which took place from March 18 to March 21, 2026, in the Colombian capital, ended with the adoption of the Bogotá Declaration.

It marked the first structured high level engagement between the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and African countries, bringing together heads of state, ministers and business leaders.

In a Facebook post on Monday, March 23, 2026, Mr Ablakwa said the agreement creates direct maritime trade links between Ghana and Colombia and is expected to expand trade between Africa and Latin America.

He said the Atlantic Ocean, once associated with the transatlantic slave trade, is now being redirected towards economic activity.

He stated that the corridor, which “previously represented the horror of slavery and a mass grave”, is being “deliberately transformed into a voyage of opportunity, job creation and economic empowerment”.

Ms Márquez described the agreement as a new phase in relations between Africa and Latin America. She said ties between the two regions had, in the past, been uneven and lacked consistency.

Ghana also used the forum to call for slavery to be recognised as a crime against humanity, a position that reflects the country’s stance in ongoing global discussions on reparations.

Mr Ablakwa commended Colombia’s Foreign Minister, Ms Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, for her role in the process and acknowledged the support of Ms Márquez in advancing the agreement.