Visit was very successful - Kufuor

London, Nov. 13, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor has described his visit to China, the Republic of Korea and Japan as very successful, saying "the benefits to Ghana are going to be enormous".

Asia, he said, had become a major pole in the global village and it was, therefore, important that "we develop our relations with them".

President Kufuor was in Beijing, China, to attend the China-Africa Forum, which was meant to fashion out a new trade and investment relation between China and Africa. From there he went to Korea for another summit before paying a two-day official visit to Japan. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Foreign Minister, Mr Joseph Kofi Adda, Energy Minister and some other senior Government officials accompanied him.

President Kufuor told newsmen in London that Finance Minister, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu would head a delegation to China to seal a deal on the funding of the Bui Hydro-Electric Dam Project within the next couple of weeks.

The Project estimated to cost 600 million dollars would have the capacity to generate 400 megawatts of electricity and the Chinese have offered a 50 per cent grant element to finance it with Ghana pushing for 70 per cent.

President Kufuor said even if China stuck to the 50 per cent grant it had put on the table, it was still very soft and a windfall. He said, however, that following discussions he held with his Chinese counterpart, Mr Hu Jintao, he was convinced that through skilful negotiations, Ghana could get more.

President Kufuor said the country needed to double its energy capacity within the foreseeable future to keep pace with the expected development demands and it was for this reason that the Bui Project became more important.

He said the Government was concerned about the likely environmental problems that could result from the construction of the Project and gave the assurance that adequate measures would be put in place to sustain the balance of nature in the area.

He said energy, reconstruction of the railway system and waste management were central in almost all his discussions with the leaders and captains of industry in the three countries.

President Kufuor said without an efficient and reliable railway system, it would be uneconomical to move the country's natural resources. Besides, the new roads being built would be destroyed faster than expected.

China has agreed to send a team of experts to come over to Ghana to study the system.

President Kufuor said during his meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister, Mr Shinzo Abe, he reminded him that the intended benefits of the Noguchi Prize for Research and Medicine Japan had instituted could not be realized if the problems of poor sanitation and waste management were not addressed.

Japan, therefore, accepted to use its remarkable experience in waste management to assist in establishing waste management plants in Ghana.

President Kufuor returns home on Monday night.