Ghana and Brazil have pledged to deepen cooperation in agriculture, energy, business and maritime security as the outgoing Brazilian Ambassador to Ghana, Mariana Gonçalves Madeira, ends her tour of duty.

Ambassador Madeira made the commitment when she paid a courtesy call on Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang at the Presidency in Accra.

The Ambassador, who assumed duty in Ghana in August 2024, praised Ghana for its democratic credentials and regional leadership.

She said her time in Ghana had given her the opportunity to witness the country’s peaceful transfer of power and developments in its political and economic landscape.

Ambassador Madeira described Ghana and Brazil as traditional partners with strong historical and cultural ties.

She said the two countries shared common interests in agriculture, energy, international diplomacy and efforts to tackle global challenges such as hunger and climate change.

She called for stronger economic cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the cocoa sector.

According to her, increased cocoa production and value addition could create more opportunities for smallholder farmers in both Ghana and Brazil.

The Ambassador also said Ghana and Brazil could deepen their partnership by building on existing areas of cooperation and exploring new opportunities for trade and investment.

For her part, Vice President Opoku-Agyemang said Ghana’s relationship with Brazil went beyond traditional South-South cooperation.

She said the relationship was built on shared history, culture and strong people-to-people ties.

The Vice President identified agriculture, business, energy, maritime security and multilateral cooperation as key areas where the two countries could strengthen their partnership.

She welcomed Brazil’s support for Ghana’s development efforts, including its collaboration on the Feed Ghana programme.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang also expressed appreciation for Brazil’s support for Ghana on international issues.

She mentioned Brazil’s support for efforts to secure United Nations recognition of the transatlantic slave trade and realised slavery as a crime against humanity.

The Vice President thanked Ambassador Madeira for her contribution to strengthening relations between Ghana and Brazil during her tenure.