President Kufuor In Jakarta

The President of Ghana, H. E. J.A. Kufuor yesterday arrived in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta to attend the two-day Asian-African Summit. Kufuor left Accra on Tuesday.

He was met on arrival by a high-profile Indonesian government delegation before he was driven to his hotel in the central part of Jakarta.

The President was accompanied by officials of the Presidency and a five-member Ghanaian business team to explore business and trade opportunities in Asia.

He is expected to deliver an address at the Asian-African Summit which opens today and hold a number of bilateral talks with Mr Junichiro Koizumi, the Prime Minister for Japan, and President Hu Jintao of China, as well as the Presidents of Nigeria and Indonesia, Olusegun Obasanjo and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono respectively to discuss bilateral issues.

The President will also participate in the 50th Anniversary of the Bandung Conference which gave birth to the Non-Aligned Movement.

The Asian-African Summit is intended to address development issues confronting Africa and Asia, as well as stimulate business and trade between countries of the two continents.

A Ministerial meeting which was attended by Ghana?s Foreign Minister, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to prepare for the summit ended in Jakarta yesterday.

The recent row between Japan and China is said to be threatening to over shadow the summit and therefore, the Foreign Minister have urged the two countries to defuse the tension between them.

There have been massive protestations in China against Japan?s handling of its wartime history and its campaign for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.