Minister for Youth Development, George Opare Addo, has called on the Russian government to extend its relationship with Ghana beyond the executive level and into the country’s rural communities, arguing that the current arrangement prevents Ghana from fully benefiting from Russia’s international initiatives.

Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, 15th September, on the sidelines of the 2026 International Youth Festival in Ekaterinburg, Russia, the minister said Russia’s engagement with Ghana currently “is at the top; it has not been able to go down to those beneath us, and so we expect a lot more to be done so that people down can get more."

“What we will expect the Russian government to do is to reach out more to Africa in terms of support, in terms of developing our infrastructure,” he said, urging Moscow to ensure that its initiatives reach ordinary Ghanaians rather than remaining concentrated among the political elite.

Mr Opare Addo applauded Russia’s long-standing relationship with Ghana, noting that President John Dramani Mahama enjoys good relations with Moscow. He added that Ghana remains open to further cooperation with Russia.

His remarks come as thousands of young leaders from around the world gather in Ekaterinburg for the International Festival of Youth, which runs from 11 to 17 September 2026. The event, held under the motto “Follow Your Dream”, is taking place as part of the Youth and Children national project, following a decree signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on 29 December 2025.

The festival brings together 10,000 young leaders from 191 countries, 5,000 Russians and 5,000 international citizens, including representatives of creative industries and the arts, public administration, science and education, sport, entrepreneurship, media, digitalisation and IT, and civic engagement.

Among those invited are 1,000 teenagers aged 14 to 17, 500 from Russia and 500 from abroad, continuing a practice established at the World Youth Festival 2024. The children’s programme is organised by the Movement of the First.

The first edition of the festival was held from 1 to 7 March 2024 in Sirius, bringing together 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries.

In line with presidential instructions on preserving and building on its legacy, festival events are now held annually across Russia, with the World Youth Festival Directorate continuing its work to strengthen international youth cooperation and build a community of young people who care about the future of the world.