President Mills due in Japan for four- day State Visit

(From Benjamin Mensah, GNA Special Correspondent, Tokyo, Japan)
Tokyo (Japan), Sept 28, GNA - The Government of Japan is to renew a number of grants to Ghana which were removed in previous years following Ghana's adoption of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative.
With Japan's renewed confidence in the Ghanaian economy, the Government of Ghana under the Mills Administration is also poised to renew its ties with the Asian nation to restore the flow of assistance to support Ghana's development programmes under the "Better Ghana" agenda.
Ghana's President John Evans Atta Mill, after a successful trip to China last week, is due in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday for a four-day State Visit.
Mr Koku Anyidoho, Head of Communications at the Office the President, told journalists ahead of President Mills' arrival that the President would repeat the success chalked in China, which committed tens of billions of dollars of development assistance to Ghana. He said the President would use his visit to strengthen Ghana's bilateral ties and co-operation with Japan which had pledged its support for the "Better Ghana" agenda.
President Mills is spearheading the "Better Ghana" programme which hinges on job creation, investment in people, infrastructural development, and running an open, honest, transparent and accountable government.
According to Mr Anyidoho, the Japanese Government had expressed admiration for the governance style of President Mills under Ghana's ongoing democratic dispensation.
He said the integrity of President Mills was major factor in the restoration of confidence in the Ghanaian economy and the resultant pledge of assistance.
While in Japan, President Mills, who is accompanied by a ministerial and business delegation, would hold talks with the Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Khan, and pay a courtesy call on His Imperial Majesty Emperor Akihito.
He would also interact with the Japan Federation of Economic Organisation which consists of leading Japanese companies, as well as meet with the African Diplomatic Corps.
President Mills would also address a Business Forum, meet with the African Diplomatic Corps and host the President of the Japanese International Co-operation Agency (JICA). He would also interact with the Ghanaian community in Japan.