Accra, Feb. 24, GNA - Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, the former Minister of Trade and Industry, Regional Cooperation and NEPAD has been engaged by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa to work for the Commission as Economic and Trade Specialist.

A statement released in Accra on Thursday said the assignment for Dr Apraku who is also the former Member of Parliament for Offinso North, is to help ECOWAS harmonize trade agreements of all its 16-member countries for the negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union.

Dr. Apraku who begins the assignment on March 21, is expected to bring his vast experience as Economics and Finance professor, previous experience working for the United Nations as Economic Officer, Trade and Industry Minister, Regional Cooperation and NEPAD Minister, and Chairman of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, to make substantive input into ECOWAS strategies and help improve and strengthen the capacity of ECOWAS to undertake effective negotiation with the EU.

This assignment will require travelling to all ECOWAS member countries to meet with Ministers of Trade and Foreign Affairs to collect data on all bilateral and multilateral trade agreements in order to harmonize them into one omnibus ECOWAS Trade Agreement to facilitate effective negotiations wit= h the European Union.

It is recalled that Dr. Apraku has been engaged over the last two years by the ECOWAS Commission as the Chairman of a five-member "Independen= t Organ' charged with "Assisting ECOWAS Structures" for restructuring and reorganization.