Kufuor on five-nation tour

Accra, May 19, GNA - Former President John Agyekum Kufuor is on a five-nation working tour of South Africa, France, Brazil, England and Switzerland, having left Accra on Tuesday night.

In South Africa, his first stop, Former President Kufuor would be Guest Speaker at the ninth 'Tswalu Dialogue' on 'Managing Fault-Lines' at the Oppenheimer Family Reserve at Tswalu in the Kalahari Desert.

The Former President's itinerary was contained in a press release, signed by Mr Frank Agyekum, the spokesperson for his office, and copied to the Foundation with support from a host of international bodies, including, the Danish government; the African Union; the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies; London, the African Centre for Strategic Studies; Washington and the Konrad Adenuar Foundation, Germany. The Dialogue is shaped as a forum to discuss issues of concern to Africa's Development and Security.

This year's event would be attended by about 50 participants drawn from policy makers, diplomats, academia and experts in Governance, Conflict Resolution and Mediation, among others.

From South Africa, Former President Kufuor would move on to Paris, France, for the third edition of 'Convergences 2015,' an international dialogue on the dynamics of International Development, Social Business and Micro-Finance.

The former President would share the 'high table' with Mr. Christine Lagarde, the French Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance and Mr. Bertrand Delanoe, the Mayor of Paris, among others.

The conference is organized by Agence Francaise de Development, ACTED and the leading French newspaper, Le Monde.

Former President Kufuor's next stop would be in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where at the invitation of the Government of Brazil and the United Nations (UN), he would participate in the '3rd Global Forum of the Alliance of Civilization,'

The round-table was created by the UN in 2005 to explore the causes of the growing polarization in the world and to put forward practical recommendations to addressing them. Mr. Lula da Silva, President of Brazil, and Mr Ban Ki Moon, Secretary-General of the UN, as well as the Prime Ministers of Turkey and Spain, among others, would be in attendance.

Former President Kufuor's next stop would be in London where he would meet with officials of The Royal Africa Society. He makes his final stop in Geneva, Switzerland, where in his capacity as Chair of the Governing Council of Interpeace, the international post-conflict agency, would open the Annual Council Meeting of the group. The former President is expected back home on June 10. 19 May 2010