Belarus, a country in Eastern Europe, is looking to establish a firm economic presence in West Africa through enhanced cooperation with Ghana, President Aleksandr Lukashenko of Belarus has said.

Speaking during talks with President John Dramani Mahama in Minsk on 8 June, Mr Lukashenko described Ghana as a key partner in Belarus’ broader engagement with the African continent, according to BelTA, a Belarusian media organisation.

He welcomed President Mahama, recalling his previous visit to Belarus and expressing appreciation for the opportunity to renew high-level dialogue.

Mr Lukashenko said Belarus was carefully defining its priorities in Africa and identifying countries with which it could build long-term strategic cooperation.

He noted that, unlike major global powers, Belarus does not have the capacity to engage all African states simultaneously, and therefore seeks targeted partnerships.

According to him, Belarus aims to secure a meaningful economic presence on the “western flank” of Africa by working closely with reliable partners such as Ghana.

The Belarusian leader stressed that his country is prepared to supply manufactured goods, agricultural products and services to African markets, while also supporting human resource development through training programmes.

He added that Belarus is willing to cooperate in technical and vocational training, particularly in operating machinery and equipment already in use across African economies.

Mr Lukashenko also indicated readiness to expand collaboration in the security sector, citing Belarus’ developed military-industrial capabilities and its willingness to support personnel training.

He expressed confidence that President Mahama’s visit would help lay a solid foundation for deeper and more structured relations between the two countries.

“We are ready to build a stronger framework for cooperation,” he said, underscoring Belarus’ intention to move towards more substantive long-term engagement with Ghana.