Europe and Africa’s security are “deeply interconnected,” Kaja Kallas said, as the European Union (EU) signed a first-of-its-kind security and defence partnership with Ghana aimed at countering rising instability across West Africa.
The agreement, reached during talks with Ghana’s Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman, expands cooperation into counter-terrorism, cyber security and conflict prevention, marking a shift beyond traditional development and trade ties.
“This is the first of its kind in an African country,” Kallas said. “It matters because security in Europe and Africa is deeply, deeply interconnected.” The European Union has committed about €50 million in support to Ghana since 2023, including the delivery of surveillance drones, anti-drone systems and other military equipment aimed at strengthening operational capacity.
Kallas said the partnership would enable closer coordination in addressing shared threats, including militant activity, cross-border crime and maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea. The EU is also supporting Ghana’s military presence in the country’s north, a region seen as vulnerable to spillover from Sahel conflicts.
The deal comes as both Europe and Africa face widening security challenges linked to conflicts in Ukraine, Sudan and the Sahel. Kallas described Russia’s war in Ukraine as an existential threat to Europe, with broader economic and security implications for countries including Ghana. She also warned against what she called the “unethical recruitment” of African nationals into foreign conflicts, saying economic hardship should not be exploited.
Beyond defence, Kallas highlighted expanding economic cooperation under the EU’s Global Gateway initiative, pointing to investments in vaccine production and pharmaceutical manufacturing, as well as support for Ghana’s timber exports to European markets.
She added that the EU is looking to deepen engagement with Ghana ahead of its expected leadership role within the African Union, framing the country as a key partner in advancing regional stability and economic development.
The agreement underscores the EU’s growing strategic focus on West Africa, where coastal states such as Ghana are increasingly seen as critical to containing insecurity spreading south from the Sahel.
