French minister to visit Ghana

Accra, Feb. 26, GNA - Mrs. Anne Marie Idrac, French Minister of State to the Ministry for the Economy, Industry and Employment with responsibility for Foreign Trade, begins a two-day visit to Ghana from Friday during which he would meet President John Evans Atta Mills to reaffirm her country's economic commitment to the country.

A statement from the French Embassy in Ghana said on Thursday that, France was particularly interested in Ghana which was seen as a model of democracy in Africa.

"The economic ties between the two countries are growing and the Minister wishes to strengthen them even further," the statement said. Mrs. Idrac will also meet the Minister of Finance and Economic planning, Dr. Kwabena Dufuor and Minister of Trade and Industry, Mrs. Hanna Tetteh.

She will be the first member of the French President Nicolas Sarkozy's government to interact with President Mills' government. "This visit shows the political commitment of the French President to have a relationship between France and Africa which would be based on equality, fairness and respect, as stated in his speech delivered in South Africa one year ago."

The statement said a senior official of Agence Fran=E7aise de D=E9veloppement (AFD) the French development agency would be a member of the delegation.