US Ambassador Clarifies USAID Suspension, Deportation Issues in Meeting with Okudzeto Ablakwa
Accra, Ghana - 27 Feb, 2025 - The United States Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia E. Palmer, has held a crucial meeting with Ghana's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
The courtesy call, which took place at the Ministry's headquarters in Accra, aimed to foster stronger ties between the two nations and address pressing issues of mutual concern.
Key areas of discussion included the temporary suspension of USAID aid to Ghana, the potential withdrawal of the US from the World Health Organization (WHO), and the status of Ghanaian nationals facing deportation from the US.
Ambassador Palmer clarified that the USAID suspension was a 90-day temporary measure to review the agency's operations, expressing hope that aid would resume once the review was completed. On the issue of deportation, Palmer assured Ablakwa that none of the approximately 156 undocumented Ghanaians affected were hardened criminals.
The meeting also touched on the potential implications of the US withdrawing from the WHO, with Ablakwa highlighting the significant impact this could have on Ghana's public health programs, particularly in the fight against diseases like HIV/AIDS and malaria.
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to continued collaboration on key issues affecting both nations, underscoring the importance of Ghana-US relations in addressing economic and energy challenges.
Source: Lead News Online
