Kufuor leaves for worldwide tour

Accra, Sept. 11, GNA - Former President John Agyekum Kufuor left Accra on Thursday night for a three-week working visit to the US, Europe and Asia.

Former President Kufuor would first stop in New York where he would formally launch the 700th anniversary of the founding of Exeter College of the University of Oxford, UK, in front of about 400 alumni, according to a statement issued in Accra on Friday by Mr Frank Agyekum, the Press Secretary of the former president.

Himself an alumnus, the former President would deliver a speech on "Oxford Education and Public Service" to mark the anniversary of the college which falls 2014, the statement said.

Also in New York, former President Kufuor would address the faculty and students the Medical College of Cornell University on: "The Health of a Nation-State: A Social Vision for Ghana and the World." Before leaving New York, former President Kufuor would meet former President of Finland and Nobel Peace Prize winner Marti Ahtisaari, who steps down as Chairman of the Board of Governors of Interpeace this year.

The meeting is to formally invite former President Kufuor to assume chairmanship of the Board. Interpeace is an international peace-building organization that helps to build peace in divided and conflict areas. From New York former President Kufuor would go to Boston, Massachusetts, where he would deliver a speech on: "Your Leadership of Ghana and Africa and Ways that Governments can Support and Promote Entrepreneurs," at the prestigious Legatum Lectures at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Former President Kufuor's next stop would be in The Hague, the Netherlands, where he would be a special guest speaker at the celebration of 60 years of Dutch development cooperation. Former President Kufuor would highlight development cooperation from the Dutch government to Africa with special reference to Ghana under the broad topic "The Millennium Event - 60 years of Dutch Development Cooperation."

Other speakers at the forum would include Nobel laureate economist, Joseph Stiglitz, Oxford economic professor, Paul Collier and UK Minister for Africa Affairs, Marc Brown.

Former President Kufuor then flies to Tokyo, Japan, to address an international conference on: "Africa and Globalization - Enabling a Better Future," at the United Nations University.

His last stop will be in the Republic of Korea where he would engage business executives on investment prospects in Africa. 11 Sept. 09