Roey Gilad (L) and Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (R)
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has urged the Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Roey Gilad, to respect Ghana’s sovereignty and its independence in making decisions on international matters.
In a lengthy Facebook post on Friday, June 20, 2025, Ablakwa expressed displeasure over Ambassador Roey Gilad’s comments, which questioned the country’s recent abstention during a vote on Iran’s nuclear compliance at an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meeting in Vienna, Austria.
According to Ablakwa, Ghana’s decisions on international matters are guided by its foreign policy principles and its commitment to fostering peaceful relations with its global partners.
“It is worth emphasising that in the meeting with the Israeli Ambassador, I registered Ghana’s strong displeasure at his recent public pronouncements, questioning Ghana’s voting pattern at international organisations.
“I urged him to respect our sovereign right to make independent decisions based on our longstanding globally acclaimed foreign policy principles anchored on Ghana’s national interest as espoused by the 1992 Constitution, pacifist approach to peace building, non-alignment, respect for the UN Charter, adherence to the rule-based international order, belief in multilateralism and strict compliance with international law,” he said.
The minister’s comments follow public backlash and scrutiny directed at Ambassador Roey Gilad, who, during a recent breakfast meeting with editors, expressed disappointment over Ghana’s decision to abstain from the IAEA vote on Iran’s nuclear activities.
Gilad acknowledged Ghana’s sovereign right to abstain but suggested a rethink of its longstanding non-aligned policy, which he claimed is heavily influenced by the AU and Arab League.
He urged Ghana to take a more “balanced” approach to global issues and questioned whether abstention was in the country’s best interest.
“Even though Israel respects Ghana’s sovereignty and non-aligned stance, I don’t know whether this [abstention] serves the best interest for Ghana,” Gilad said.
Read his post below;
MAG/VPO
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