Russia Backs Ghana's Bid to Join BRICS as a Partner Country

• Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pledged support for Ghana's BRICS partner-country application at the Russia-Africa Summit on Wednesday, October 28, 2026
• Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa shared the development after a breakfast meeting with Lavrov and other African foreign ministers
• Ghana formally announced its intention to seek BRICS partner-country status on October 6, 2026, following Cabinet approval

Russia has thrown its weight behind Ghana's bid to become a partner country of BRICS, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pledging to mobilise the bloc's founding members in support of Accra's application.

Ghana's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, shared the development in a Facebook post on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, following a breakfast meeting with Lavrov and other African foreign ministers on the sidelines of the ongoing Russia-Africa Summit.

According to Ablakwa, Lavrov not only gave Moscow's personal assurance of support but also committed to working with BRICS founding members to build a consensus around Ghana's application.

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Ghana's decision to join BRICS

Ghana formally announced its intention to seek partner-country status within the BRICS grouping on October 6, 2026, after Cabinet approved the move.

Ablakwa made the announcement public during a joint press briefing in Accra alongside India's External Affairs Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

The push to join BRICS forms part of a broader strategy by Accra to diversify its economic and diplomatic relationships, opening up additional avenues for development cooperation beyond its existing partnerships.

The Facebook post below contains the statement from Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister.

Mahama government's non-alignment stance

Ablakwa stressed that pursuing BRICS membership does not signal a shift in Ghana's traditional foreign policy footing.

He said the Mahama administration remains committed to the principle of being "friends of all, enemies to none" and will continue to pursue international partnerships on the basis of national interest.

BRICS is an intergovernmental grouping of major emerging economies focused on strengthening economic cooperation and coordination.

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Its partner-country framework offers closer engagement to nations that are not full members, making it an attractive entry point for countries like Ghana that wish to deepen ties with the bloc without committing to full membership at the outset.

Russia's backing could prove significant as Ghana navigates the consensus-building process required to secure partner-country status among the grouping's founding members.

Ghana’s President explains why he wants BRICS

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the president of Ghana, H.E. John Mahama, explained that Ghana's application for partnership status with the BRICS bloc is designed to expand the country's development alliances, advance South-South cooperation, and open new avenues for trade, investment and industrialisation.

Mahama disclosed during the commissioning of four ambassadors, whom he charged with turning the government's foreign policy priorities into concrete outcomes for ordinary Ghanaians.

The president was clear that the move does not signal a departure from Ghana's existing international relationships.

Source: YEN.com.gh