The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, announced that the bloc will sign new security and defence agreements with Ghana, Australia and Iceland in the coming days.
Speaking at the 2026 EU Ambassadors Conference in Brussels on Monday, Kallas said the planned agreements form part of a wider strategy to expand the EU’s global network of security partnerships at a time of rising geopolitical uncertainty.
“Later this week I will sign the tenth with Australia and subsequent ones with Iceland and Ghana in the coming days,” she said.
Kallas noted that the growing interest in cooperation with the EU reflects a broader shift in global diplomacy as countries seek to diversify their alliances and strengthen security cooperation.
“There are many other interested countries knocking at our door,” she said, adding that “a growing number of countries around the globe are seeking to diversify their partnerships to manage the heightened risk.”
The proposed partnerships come at a time when the EU says the international system is facing increasing strain from geopolitical conflicts and challenges to international law.
In her address, Kallas pointed to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and the continuing war between Russia and Ukraine as examples of growing instability in the global order.
She argued that these developments have heightened the need for stronger international cooperation and collective security arrangements.
EU’s global security framework
The defence partnerships are expected to form part of the EU’s broader security framework, which includes cooperation with organisations such as NATO as well as bilateral agreements with partner countries across Europe, Asia and North America.
According to Kallas, expanding the EU’s network of partnerships is essential to maintaining stability and supporting a rules-based international system at a time when many countries are reassessing their strategic relationships.
She said the EU’s approach combines economic cooperation, diplomatic engagement and security collaboration in order to strengthen alliances and promote collective responses to global challenges.
What the partnership means for Ghana
While details of the proposed agreement with Ghana have not yet been publicly outlined, the partnership is expected to deepen cooperation in areas such as security dialogue, defence collaboration and strategic coordination.
The move signals the EU’s recognition of Ghana as a key strategic partner in West Africa, a region grappling with security challenges including terrorism, maritime insecurity and political instability.
The agreement would place Ghana among a select group of nations with formalised security and defence partnerships with the EU, joining countries across Europe, Asia and North America.
Kallas revealed that the EU currently has nine Security and Defence Partnerships with countries in Europe, Asia and North America, with more nations expressing interest in similar arrangements.
“Like us, they seek stability and collective action to address collective challenges. Like us, they have learned that dependencies make us weak and give undo leverage to those who seek to carve the world into spheres of influence,” she said.
The announcement comes as Ghana continues to play an active role in international peacekeeping and regional security initiatives, including contributions to UN missions and leadership in ECOWAS efforts to maintain stability in West Africa.
