Commonwealth Secretary-General visits Otumfuo

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Mr Don McKinnon, on Saturday paid a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu 11, at the Manhyia palace in Kumasi.

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Edward Osei Kwaku, the Commanding Officer of the Northern Command of the Ghana Army, Brigadier George Ayiku and other service commanders accompanied him.

The meeting, which was held behind closed doors, was believed to have centred on bilateral, economic and socio-cultural issues. Mr. Don McKinnon has since left Accra for London after a 3-day goodwill visit to the country.

In an interview with newsmen before departure, he said the visit was successful and mentioned that discussions with President John Agyekum Kufuor were fruitful and productive. Mr. McKinnon said he held deliberations with civil society and non- governmental organisations on their changing roles in society and their relations with government on its decisions and policymaking.

He said discussions were also centred on the Highly Indebted and Poor Countries (HIPIC) initiative and how developing countries could get access to trade with the developed countries. Developing countries he said were not "well served after the Uruguay talks and were now sceptical about going into the next round of talks on how Africa could get access to the world market."