Minister for Youth Development, George Opare Addo, has praised the longstanding relationship between Ghana and Russia, calling for deeper cooperation that delivers tangible opportunities for young people in both countries.

He reiterated the relations between Ghana and Russia, which date back several decades, particularly to the era of Ghana's first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

The Minister acknowledged that the relationship has contributed significantly to educational and human capital development for Ghana.

Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the ongoing 2026 International Festival of Youth (IFY) in Ekaterinburg, Russia, Mr Opare Addo said many Ghanaians had benefited from scholarships to study in Russia over the years.

According to him, a number of those beneficiaries have since returned to Ghana and are contributing their knowledge and expertise to the country's development in various sectors.

"I know Ghana and Russia have a longstanding relationship of cooperation over the years, it started from our first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah and his association in the Soviet Union, and since that time, I know Russia has provided a lot of scholarship opportunities to Ghanaian students. A lot of my colleagues had the opportunity to study here, in Russia, and they are back home, working to develop our country," he said.

The Youth Development Minister expressed optimism that the longstanding friendship would continue to evolve into partnerships that provide mutual benefits for both countries.

He particularly wants future cooperation to place greater emphasis on programmes and initiatives capable of transforming the lives of young people, including opportunities in education, technology, skills development, innovation and other areas of youth development.

"Going into the future, technology has become a very important aspect of development, entrepreneurship has become a bedrock of our development and I believe strongly that, that level of cooperation we are seeking now,

"When I come into office as Youth Development Minister, I engaged the Deputy Ambassador for Russia (to Ghana) to find out how we can cooperate and develop our young people who are willing to come here and learn, we are more than willing to come here and learn," he noted.

"We can only pray that we deepen this relationship where it becomes mutually beneficial to both countries," he added.

He expressed hope that the relationship would continue to grow, allowing Ghana and Russia to learn from each other and pursue areas of cooperation that advance their shared interests.

The Minister made the remarks while attending the 2026 International Festival of Youth in Ekaterinburg, where young people and officials from Ghana are participating alongside delegates from other countries.

The festival, which runs from September 11 to 17, brings together young leaders and professionals from across the world for discussions and activities spanning education, entrepreneurship, technology, media, culture and international cooperation.