“First Batch Of Ghanaians Safely Evacuated From Iran To Turkey”- Foreign Affairs Minister

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The Minister for foreign affairs and regional integration, Samuel Akudzeto Ablakwa has stated that the first batch of Ghanaians living in Iran have successfully been evacuated to Turkey amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel.

In a Facebook post on Friday 20th June, 2025, he wrote

“This week, I invited the ambassadors of Israel and Iran to my office for separate meetings.

On Tuesday, I met with H.E. Roey Gilad of Israel and then held talks with H.E. Ali Ghomshi of Iran on Wednesday.

The meetings afforded me the opportunity to convey the Mahama Administration’s emergency evacuation strategy for Ghanaians living in their countries with the two ambassadors for onward communication to their governments to facilitate border access approvals.

So far, the first batch of Ghanaians in Iran have been evacuated to Turkey successfully. Our fellow nationals living in Israel will be evacuated shortly.

These engagements have also enriched our understanding of the ongoing conflict.

It is worth emphasizing 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 organizations.

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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.

These cherished principles will continue to guide Ghana’s foreign policy imperatives within all international organizations, particularly at this defining moment when Ghana is serving on the UN Human Rights Council and chairing the governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Finally, I re-echoed Ghana’s demand for both countries to ceasefire and opt for a peaceful diplomatic resolution of their concerns.”

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has announced the successful evacuation of the first group of Ghanaians from Iran to Turkey amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel.

In a Facebook post shared on Friday, June 20, 2025, the minister confirmed that the evacuation forms part of the Mahama administration’s broader emergency strategy to safeguard Ghanaian nationals in conflict zones.

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“This week, I invited the ambassadors of Israel and Iran to my office for separate meetings,” he disclosed. “On Tuesday, I met with H.E. Roey Gilad of Israel, and then held talks with H.E. Ali Ghomshi of Iran on Wednesday.”

According to Ablakwa, these discussions enabled him to present Ghana’s evacuation plan and secure cooperation for border access approvals. “So far, the first batch of Ghanaians in Iran have been evacuated to Turkey successfully. Our fellow nationals living in Israel will be evacuated shortly,” he said.

He noted that the meetings also helped Ghana gain deeper insights into the ongoing hostilities between the two nations.

The minister also revealed that during his meeting with the Israeli envoy, he formally expressed Ghana’s displeasure over recent comments by the ambassador questioning Ghana’s stance at international platforms.

“I urged him to respect our sovereign right to make independent decisions based on Ghana’s long-standing foreign policy principles,” Ablakwa stated. He reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to peacebuilding, non-alignment, multilateralism, and strict adherence to international law.

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