Kufuor receives special message from Korea

Accra, Aug. 29, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Tuesday granted audience to an Envoy of the President of the Republic of Korea, Mr Roh Moo Hyun, who was in the country to deliver a special message. The content of the message were not disclosed but was believed to be centred on the Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister's bid for the United Nations (UN) Secretary General's position.

Mr Ban Ki-Moon, the ROK's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister, is one of the Candidates aspiring to succeed, Busumuru Kofi Annan, the UN Chief, whose term of office runs out in December 2006.


Receiving the Envoy, Mr Lee Kyu-Hyung at the Castle, Osu, President Kufuor said Ghana and Korea, which established diplomatic relations in 1977, had related very well over the past three decades. He recalled that after independence, the two countries were quite close in terms of socio-economic development, but now, Korea was a long way ahead of Ghana and had become a reference point. "We want to catch-up. We want to know how you have done it." President Kufuor said it was for this reason that the Government was talking to them especially in the area of the development of the country's energy sector.


He gave the assurance that he would critically look at the message.

Responding, Mr Kyu-Hyung, who is the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said Korea had been through hard times in the past and that, their success story, had been the result of "political will, national harmony and the pursuit of the right strategies". These, he said, were the very things that Ghana under the leadership of President Kufuor was doing. The country, he noted was enjoying political stability, making giant strides at economic development and had its strategies right. He said he was confident that Ghana had turned the corner and was heading towards progress and added that it was on the basis of this recognition that Korean Companies were happy and proud to be working in the country.


Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Foreign Minister, and Ambassador D.K. Osei, Secretary to the President, were at the meeting. 29 Aug. 06