... JAK receives red carpet reception at the White House
Washington, Sept. 15, GNA - US President George Bush on Monday honoured President John Agyekum Kufuor with a grand and picture-perfect ceremony at the South Lawn of the White House to welcome him for a four-day State Visit to the country.

On parade were contingents from the US Army, Marines, Air Force and the Navy and watched by hundreds of specially invited dignitaries and the general public.

Accompanied by the wife Theresa, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Akwasi Osei-Adjei, the Information Minister, Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, Professor Gyan Baffour, Deputy Finance Minister and other senior government officials, the visit was at the invitation of the US President.

It comes against the backdrop of the warm relations Ghana and the US have been enjoying over the past eight years. Again it is widely seen as an acknowledgement of Ghana's soaring image as a star performer in Africa in terms of open, democratic and good governance.

The ceremony to officially receive President Kufuor started at 0900 hours (East Time) with the arrival of President Bush and the wife, Laura.

Two minutes later President Kufuor and his wife drove in and when their car pulled up they were met by the host who shook hands with them and exchanged pleasantries with them.

The two Presidents then stepped onto a reviewing platform, drawing cheers from the crowd.

The Military Band played the anthems of Ghana and the US with a 21-gun salute booming at the background.

The two leaders inspected a Guard of Honour before proceeding to the Blue Room of the White House to sign the Guest Book. President Bush noted the strong ties of friendship between Ghana and the US and said the American people were honoured to receive President Kufuor and his delegation.

The two countries, he said, were bound by the love for liberty and "stand as one in our efforts to safeguard that freedom."

President Bush congratulated President Kufuor for his strong leadership, which has marked Ghana out as a model of entrepreneurship, democracy and peace on the continent of Africa.

Ghana, he said, was showing that democracy was not a challenge to be feared but sure path to prosperity.

Responding President Kufuor conveyed appreciation to the US for its development support for Ghana, mentioning AGOA under which the country could export 6,400 duty-free and quota-free commodities to the US market, the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), African Education Initiative and the President's Malaria Initiative.

He said his hope was that the partnership between the two would continue to be further strengthened with more inflow of US private sector investment into Ghana's economy.

President Kufuor re-affirmed his government's commitment to supporting the conduct of a free and fair election in Ghana and said International observers were welcome. The two later went into bilateral talks at the Oval Office.