Accra: The Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marko uric, has expressed strong admiration for Ghana's proposed 24-hour economy initiative. He described it as a visionary and transformative policy that could significantly accelerate the country's economic growth and overall development. Speaking at a joint press briefing with Ghana's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, in Accra, Mr. uric said he was 'inspired' by the concept and believed it presented new opportunities for economic partnerships between Ghana and Serbia.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. uric emphasized that both countries shared similar aspirations for transformation and resilience, and the 24-hour economy idea aligned with Serbia's own experiences with bold reforms. He highlighted Serbia's remarkable economic turnaround, citing the doubling of national GDP, a significant reduction in unemployment, and a decreased debt-to-GDP ratio as examples of successful reforms. He expressed optimism that Ghana's initiative could yield similar results.
Ghana's 24-hour economy initiative, a key policy proposal by the government of President John Dramani Mahama, seeks to run key sectors of the Ghanaian economy, including manufacturing, ICT, transport, services, and energy, in continuous shifts to boost productivity, reduce youth unemployment, and transform the country into a regional economic hub. Mr. uric noted that this initiative presented a strategic opportunity for Serbian and other Eastern European businesses to engage with Ghanaian enterprises and expand trade between the two countries.
The Serbian Foreign Minister confirmed his government's readiness to build economic bridges with Ghana, identifying agriculture as a key entry point. He pointed to Serbia's strong biotechnology institutes and food production systems as assets that could support Ghana's food security and agricultural innovation agenda. Additionally, Mr. uric reaffirmed Serbia's leadership in artificial intelligence and proposed collaboration to govern and shape the future of AI.
Mr. Ablakwa welcomed the Serbian minister's endorsement and commended Serbia's economic achievements as a useful example for Ghana. He highlighted Ghana's demographic strength, digital ambition, and regional economic positioning as key factors driving the push toward a 24-hour economy. The two ministers agreed on the need to deepen trade partnerships in strategic areas such as agriculture, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and education, acknowledging that trade volumes had not matched the strong diplomatic ties between the countries.
Lithium and clean energy development were also high on the agenda, with both Ghana and Serbia having discovered lithium deposits. The ministers discussed collaboration in exploration, processing, and value addition to support sustainable energy transitions and industrial growth. Mr. uric's visit to Ghana is expected to result in new memoranda of understanding across several sectors, including labour mobility, education, and defence.
