Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says talks to exempt Ghanaians from International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examinations have made “significant progress” following a meeting with the UK Foreign Secretary, Edward Miliband.
Mr Ablakwa was hosted by Mr Miliband on Wednesday, October 21, and congratulated him on his appointment while praising his leadership.
The two ministers used the meeting to examine the state of relations between Ghana and the UK, including growing trade and investment between the countries.
“We welcomed the impressive upward trajectory in Ghana-UK trade and investments,” Mr Ablakwa wrote on X after the meeting.
He said negotiations he had initiated over IELTS requirements for Ghanaian students and professionals had advanced, with both sides optimistic about the possibility of an exemption.
“Thus far, we have demonstrated that Ghana meets the minimum statistical threshold in English proficiency for favourable consideration by our UK friends. Both sides remain highly optimistic,” he said.
The proposed change could affect Ghanaians seeking to study or work in the UK, although the source did not specify when a final decision would be made.
Mr Ablakwa also said he and Mr Miliband discussed President Mahama’s position on reparatory justice and the prospects of a wider dialogue after what he described as a landmark Ghana-led UN resolution.
The resolution declared transatlantic enslavement “the gravest crime against humanity”.
Their discussions also covered multilateral priorities, with Ghana due to chair the African Union in 2027, the same year in which the UK will assume the G20 Presidency.
The ministers further reviewed preparations and areas of shared interest ahead of next month’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which will take place in Antigua and Barbuda.
Mr Ablakwa thanked Mr Miliband for his hospitality and reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to its longstanding relationship with the UK.
“I thank the outstanding Foreign Secretary for his warm hospitality. We deeply cherish our longstanding Ghana 🇬🇭 UK 🇬🇧 relations,” he wrote.
