Indian Minister arrives for a three-day visit

Accra, May 24, GNA - The Indian Minister for External Affairs Mr Anand Sharma is in the country for a three-day working visit. He was accompanied by a 40-member delegation.

In a brief chart with the GNA on arrival Mr Sharma said the visit was a follow-up to the formation of Team Nine, an organization consisting of India and nine African countries including Ghana, which took place in India in 2004.

The organization was formed to enable India to assist in the development of member African States through a Techno-economic approach. He said the organization aimed at developing Africa through the initiation of a wide range of projects with priority areas including agriculture, education and ICT.

He said the meeting, which is the first since the formation of the Team was to consolidate the objectives and the aims of the organization. Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botwe, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, who met Mr Sharma on arrival, said she believed that his deliberations during the visit would equip him with new ideas that would be of tremendous help to the aims of the organisation.

Representatives of eight other African countries that comprise Team Nine are expected in the country for the meeting.

Also at the airport to meet Mr Sharma was Mr Rajish Nandan Prasad, Indian High Commissioner to Ghana.