Envoys present Credentials to President Kufuor

Accra, Oct. 15, GNA - Two High Commissioners and two Ambassadors accredited to Ghana on Friday presented their Letters of Credence to President John Agyekum Kufuor at the Castle, Osu.

They were: Mr Donald Bobiash, Canadian High Commissioner in Ghana and Mr Ikram Karim Fazli, Pakistani High Commissioner in Ghana based in Abuja, Nigeria.

The Ambassadors were: Mr Seidou Bako Boukari of Benin and Mr Odd-Egil Andhoy of Norway based in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. They pledged to improve on the cordial relationship between their countries and Ghana.

Present was Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

President Kufuor appeals to Canada for more assistance in the electoral process

Accra, Oct. 15, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday appealed to Canada to continue with its support to Ghana's electoral process to ensure a peaceful, free and fair elections in December. He said: "Canada has played a major role in Ghana's democratic dispensation, therefore, she is expected to play an important role to ensure this year's elections is peaceful, free and fair."

President Kufuor made the appeal when receiving the Letter of Credence of Mr Donald Bobiash as the Canadian High Commissioner in Ghana at the Castle, Osu.

He said Canada had offered tremendous support to Ghana's socio-economic development through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and peacekeeping efforts with her contribution towards the establishment of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping and Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra.

Mr Bobiash said Election 2004 would be a testimony to Ghana's commitment to democracy, peaceful political transition and development. "Canada is proud to once again provide financial support to the elections".

The Canadian High Commissioner said his country had so far invested about 300 million dollars in Ghana's economy and there would be more investments in the mining sector in Goldfields Company Limited at Tarkwa in the Western Region.

He commended President Kufuor for his leadership qualities to maintain peace and stability with the West African Sub-Region and pledged Canada's support to sustain the peace.

Good leadership and neighbourliness ideal to sustain tenets of ECOWAS - President Kufuor

Accra, Oct. 15, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday said good leadership and neighbourliness among West African countries was ideal to sustain the tenets of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

He said most of the countries within the Sub-Region had common historic and cultural bonds that fostered peace among them and coupled with good leadership and neighbourliness the ideals of ECOWAS could be improved and strengthened for the socio-economic development of the Sub-Region.

President Kufuor, who is also the ECOWAS Chairman, made the observation when Mr Seidou Bako Boukari, Ambassador of Benin in Ghana presented his Letter of Credence to him at the Castle, Osu.

He expressed his appreciation for President Mathieu Kerekou of Benin and said: "He is a man of great experience and one of the mature and stable leaders in West Africa fully committed to the consolidation of peace in West Africa".

Mr Boukari said Benin had a lot to learn from Ghana with regard to the tremendous improvement in her socio-economic development for the past four years.

He said other areas were the sterling leadership qualities of President Kufuor, whose tenure of office as Chairman of ECOWAS, had seen peace and stability within the Sub-Region, the development of the arts and crafts as well as the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs). Mr Boukari pledged to improve and strengthen the cordial relationship that had existed between the two countries.

President Kufuor urges Pakistan to re-open her Mission in Accra

Accra, Oct. 15, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday appealed to the Government of Pakistan to re-open its Mission in Accra. He said Ghana would reciprocate the gesture by establishing a mission in Islamabad to foster trade and other cordial relations between both countries.

President Kufuor made the appeal when Mr Ikram Karim Fazli, Pakistani High Commissioner in Ghana based in Abuja, Nigeria presented his Letter of Credence at the Castle, Osu.

He said with the goodwill in the relationship between both countries, it was ideal to deepen the economic and other relationship between them based on South-South co-operation for their mutual benefit. President Kufuor said other relations between the two countries was based on religion with the Ahmadiyya Movement that had its international headquarters in Pakistan and assistance to peacekeeping among the two countries.

Mr Fazli said the Pakistani Mission in Ghana was closed down about five years ago due to economic reasons and it was ideal it was re-opened to foster more cordial relationship between both countries. He said both countries could establish exchange programmes in the training of Civil Servants; Diplomatic Corps; Public Administrators and Bankers as well experts in the industrial sector, especially in pharmaceuticals and rice production. 15 Oct. 04