'He is excellent' - Jamaica's Foreign Minister heaps praise on Ablakwa at Ghana-Jamaica summit

• Jamaica's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, praised Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, describing him as "excellent, knowledgeable and results-oriented" during the Third Ghana-Jamaica Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC) in Accra.

• Johnson Smith said Ablakwa is highly respected and well regarded by his counterparts across the world because of his commitment to ensuring diplomacy delivers tangible benefits for ordinary citizens.

• The Jamaican minister's remarks came as Ghana and Jamaica deepened bilateral relations through agreements in health, education, culture and other sectors, with both countries seeking to strengthen cooperation after years of limited engagement.

Jamaica's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, has publicly lauded Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, describing him as one of the most respected and admired foreign ministers on the global stage.

Speaking at the 3rd Session of the Ghana-Jamaica Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC) in Accra on May 26, 2026, Senator Johnson Smith commended Mr. Ablakwa's leadership and commitment to delivering tangible results through diplomacy.

In her remarks, the Jamaican minister said Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa had earned widespread admiration among his counterparts across the world because of his competence, dedication and people-centred approach to diplomacy.

"What don't happen in a year, happen in a day, Minister," she remarked.

And so it is with a deep sense of appreciation, of kinship, of commendations and appreciation, and excellencies. He is excellent, he is knowledgeable, he is results orientated, he is nation minded, he is globally minded, and he is one who believes in ensuring that foreign affairs delivers for the benefit of people at every level of every nation.

She further urged participants to acknowledge Mr. Ablakwa's efforts in advancing cooperation between Ghana and Jamaica.

She added that Mr. Ablakwa had succeeded in pushing officials to work at extraordinary speed.

Her remarks came as Ghana and Jamaica renewed commitments to deepen cooperation in health, trade, tourism, culture, defence and reparatory justice during the PJCC meeting, the first such session between the two countries since 2005.

The discussions also produced key agreements, including a health workforce mobility arrangement expected to see the first batch of Ghanaian health professionals deployed to Jamaica in June 2026.

The meeting highlighted the growing diplomatic partnership between the two countries, rooted in shared African heritage and a common commitment to Pan-African cooperation.

Mr. Ablakwa, who has in recent months spearheaded several diplomatic initiatives including Ghana's campaign for international recognition of transatlantic slavery as a crime against humanity, described the PJCC as a historic opportunity to translate longstanding ties between Ghana and Jamaica into practical benefits for citizens of both nations.