President Kufuor in Italy

President John Agyekum Kufuor is in Italy to attend the four-day U.N. World Food summit starting today, June 10. The president will join global leaders gathered in Rome for the Summit, against the backdrop of looming famine in southern Africa and heated debate over genetically modified foods.

The summit will open today with an address by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. It is expected to end on Thursday with a declaration recommitting governments to promises they made to cut hunger in 1996, at the first food summit. During that meeting, delegates pledged to reduce the number of hungry people in the world from 800 million to 400 million by 2015. So far, however, there has been no significant reduction.

Kufuor arrived in Italy from Germany. He was met at the Ciampino Airport in Rome by Eugeno Di Mattei, Director of State Protocol of the Republic.

Mrs Kufuor was presented with a bouquet by seven-year old Kuukua Sao Charlene Addo, daughter of one of the embassy staff, before the presidential convoy drove through the streets of Rome to the Vatican and later to the official residence of Ghana?s Ambassador to Italy.

The president had a private audience with John Paul II. The Pope asked for God?s blessings for Ghana and her people and wished the President success and good health.

The President was accompanied by his wife, Theresa; the Senior Minister, Mr J. H. Mensah; Foreign Minister, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman; Food and Agriculture Minister, Major Courage Quashigah (rtd); Minister of State at the Presidency, Ms Elizabeth Ohene; Ambassador D. K. Osei, Secretary to the President, and Dr Kofi Dzane Selby, Ghana?s Ambassador to Italy.

The President later toured the Basilica.

After private discussions with the Pope, President Kufuor and the Pope exchanged gifts and pleasantries.

President Kufuor?s convoy had earlier driven past a guard of honour mounted by a detachment of Vatican?s Swiss Guards and welcomed by the Papal Household by Bishop James Harvey and escorted to Paolo VI Hall, where he met with the Pope.

After the encounter with the Pope, the President and his entourage were granted audience by the Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, also at the Vatican.

The president completed a three-day official visit to Germany, on Friday, where he met, Chancellor Schroeder, the Ghanaian community in Berlin and attended an award ceremony for a Ugandan lawyer and UN-Under Secretary General, Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflicts, Mr Olara A. Otunnu.

The president's trip to Italy was not announced to the media in Ghana.