Bush declares confidence in Kufuor

Washington DC, April 13, GNA - Ghana/United States relations have been taken to a new high level as President George W. Bush gives thumps up and declares total confidence in President John Agyekum Kufuor's leadership.

"This is a man of peace who is honest, investing in his people and fighting corruption. Our government is confident working with his country", he said, as the two leaders emerged from an hour-long meeting in the Oval Office to speak to journalists in the Rose Gardens of the White House.


President Kufuor is on a three-day working visit to the US at the invitation of President Bush.


Their discussions on Wednesday centred on bilateral issues, regional and international security matters. President Bush said his government was committed to ensure that the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Ghana's Compact was successfully taken through.


On his part, President Kufuor said the US President had demonstrated so much understanding for Africa.


He cited the Bush Administration's contribution to the fight against the spread of the HIV-AIDS through the setting up of a 15-billion dollar fund to save and make life easier for more than 400,000 people, supply of textbooks and learning materials to basic schools and initiatives like the African Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA) and the Trade and Investment Framework Law as evidence of this. President Kufuor also touched on Ghana's MCA Compact that the two countries would sign in July and said this would enable the country to modernise its agriculture.

Ghana is expected to draw about 500 million dollars from the account and this, he said, would positively affect and transform the lives of about 3 million people.


Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Foreign Minister, hailed the visit as "a good one", saying it provided a great deal of understanding between the two countries.


He told journalists that the two leaders discussed bilateral issues as well as regional and international security matters including the situation in Iraq and developments in Liberia and Cote d' Ivoire. The Foreign Minister said President Bush praised Ghana for its democracy, good governance, and promotion of education and private sector growth.


He re-assured President Kufuor of his commitment to see to it the July deadline for the signing of the MCA Ghana Compact was met. 13 April 06