Foreign Minister Returns From Western Tour

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Minister of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday returned home after a two-week tour of eight Western capitals to solicit for funds to support the operations of the ECOWAS Peacekeeping Force in Cote d'Ivoire.

This followed the decision of the security mediation team for the Ivorian crisis to increase the strength of the Peacekeeping Force from 1,291 to 3,205. The move was also as a result of the dwindling resources of the ECOWAS over the years due to the frequent political instability in some member countries.

Nana Akufo-Addo made the trip together with Foreign Ministers from Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Senegal as well as Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, Executive Secretary of ECOWAS.

The Western capitals they visited were Washington, London, Geneva, Brussels, The Hague, Paris, Oslo, and Berlin. Briefing newsmen on arrival, Nana Akufo-Addo described the trip as most successful adding that, the countries the team visited gave strong assurances of financial assistance.

He said the meeting in Brussels sought to upgrade the knowledge of the International Contact Group on Liberia, which was co-chaired, by ECOWAS and the European Union on the current political situation in Liberia.