Rawlings leaves for US

Accra, (Greater Accra) 24 Feb. '99,

Accra, (Greater Accra) 24 Feb. '99, The President, Flt-Lt Jerry John Rawlings, left Accra yesterday for Washington DC for a four-day official visit to the US. The President was accompanied by a 14-member delegation, including the First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings and Madam Fati Jawula, a member of the Council of State. The other members of the delegation are the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Victor Gbeho, Mr Victor Selormey, Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr John Abu, Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Deputy Minister of Education, Ms Cecilia Johnson, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Kofi Attoh, MP and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Mr Kojo Armah, MP. A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the visit reciprocates the historic tour undertaken by President Clinton in March last year to Ghana and other African countries, and it is within the context of the increasingly warm relations between Ghana and the US. It said President Rawlings and his delegation will discuss with their American counterparts bilateral and multi-lateral issues of mutual interest, including trade, agriculture, education, energy, security in the West African sub-region, the United Nations, problems associated with the globalisation of the world economy and the millennium bug. The statement said a trade agreement is expected to be signed between the two countries which is designed to set the guidelines for enhanced mutually beneficial trade relations between the two countries. President Rawlings will address the council on foreign relations in Washington DC. According to the statement, the delegation will also seek to draw attention of the American authorities, especially the US Senate, to the important contribution that the African Growth and Opportunities Act could make in redefining the relationship between the US and Africa with emphasis on trade and rapid economic growth in Africa. It said the US is an important trading partner for Ghana and a great source of technical assistance, aid and investment funds. The delegation was seen off at the airport by the Vice- President, Prof John Atta Mills, Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia, Chairman of the Council of State, Ministers of state, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Peter Nanfuri, Chief of Defence Staff, Lt-Gen. Ben Akafia, and Miss Sharon Lavorel- Rutherford, a deputy of the US embassy.