Vice President returns home

Accra, June 12, GNA - The Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama returned home last night from London where he attended a meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government on reform of international institutions that was held from June 09 to June 10.

He was accompanied by Mr. Akwasi Osei Adjei, Minister of Foreign Affairs, NEPAD and Regional Integration.

The deliberations centred on the identification of principles and actions that should be taken as global priority to achieve reform of international institutions and where necessary create new ones.

The heads adopted the Marlborough House statement on the reform of international institutions.

The conference recognized that sovereign states must have freedom and capacity to determine national goals and implement national policies and strategies but at the same time several national goals could best be achieved through international co-operation and support.

They heads said greater proportions of sovereign states today were

not adequately represented in these international institutions. The Heads of government agreed to hold an extraordinary meeting of Commonwealth Heads of government on 24 September 2008. Among the 11 Commonwealth leaders who attended the meeting were President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania who is also the Chairman of the African Union (AU) and Prime Minister Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom (UK).

At the airport to meet the Vice President were officials from the

Office of the Vice President.