Ghana and Zimbabwe have inaugurated the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC), establishing a formal framework to deepen bilateral engagement and advance collaboration in trade, investment and other strategic sectors.
The ministerial session of the inaugural PJCC was held in Accra, was co-chaired by the Foreign Ministers of Ghana and Zimbabwe.
The platform is expected to provide a structured mechanism for coordinating relations between the two countries, whose ties date back to the period before Zimbabwe’s independence.
Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, described the PJCC as a “turning point” in bilateral relations, signalling a shift from longstanding diplomatic goodwill to a more “focused and results oriented collaboration”.
He said both countries must place greater emphasis on trade and investment, deepen private sector engagement and improve market access by leveraging opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
According to him, the partnership presents opportunities across agriculture, mining, education and skills development, with the priority now being to convert those prospects into practical programmes that support job creation, economic expansion and shared prosperity.
Zimbabwe’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Professor Amon Murwira, echoed the call for “impactful diplomacy”, stressing the need for bilateral relations to deliver measurable outcomes and tangible development gains.
He reaffirmed Zimbabwe’s commitment to strengthening existing ties with Ghana for the mutual benefit of both countries, noting that diplomacy should produce “real outcomes” that improve livelihoods and accelerate national development.
The PJCC is expected to serve as a key institutional vehicle for advancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest while aligning both countries’ engagement with broader continental economic integration objectives.
Outcomes from the ministerial deliberations are expected to be presented to the Presidents of Ghana and Zimbabwe during the Zimbabwean leader’s State Visit to Ghana from April 1 to 3, 2026.
That process is anticipated to culminate in the signing of Memoranda of Understanding in selected areas of cooperation, providing a further basis for expanding bilateral relations and translating policy dialogue into implementation.
