Accra, April 15, GNA - President John Evans Atta Mills on Wednesday received letters of credence from three new ambassadors from South Africa, Mali and Thailand at separate ceremonies at the Castle, Osu, in Accra.
They were Ms. Ntombizodwa Msuthukazilallie from South Africa, General Toumani Sissoko from Mali, and Mr Widhya Bhoolsuwan from Thailand.
It was an all kente affair as the President, together with top Government officials, wore rich Ghanaian kente cloth, with the dominant colour of yellow, over white jumper and shorts, with the traditional footwear, ahenemma, to match.
A mounted squadron from the Ghana Police Service stood sentry behind the President as he waited to receive the ambassadors.
Sporting a traditional South African dress, Ms. Msuthukazilallie, with an expression of gratitude for the welcome, congratulated President Mills on his 100 days in office. She said she had come to do the best so that the two countries would strengthen the ties they had with each other, adding that South Africa, which was holding a presidential election next Wednesday, had a lot to learn from Ghana. General Sissoko extended a message of congratulations from President Amadou Toumani Toure, who attended the inauguration of President Mills in Accra last January.
President Mills lauded the brotherly relations between the two countries, and expressed the hope that Mali and Ghana would fast track the process of integration in the West African sub-region. President Mils said sub-regional integration held the key to the development of the countries in the sub-region to intensify free movement of goods and factors of production as well as increase trade relations between the two nations.
The President said there was the need to come close to one another in the sub-region and explore ways to improve the lives of the people. General Sissoko traced the history of the two countries to the era of Ghana's first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrunah and then Malian leader Modibo Keita for their untiring role in the formation of the African Union, then the Organisation of African Unity, and added the need for the two countries to strengthen their bilateral ties. He expressed thanks for Ghana's assistance to Malians as the latter went about their businesses in Ghana, adding that, his country had a lot to learn from Ghana.
During his interaction with Mr Bhoolsuwan, President Mills recalled that Ghana established diplomatic relations with Thailand in 1995 and the two countries had since had trade links. President Mills expressed the need to launch the Ghana-Thailand Joint Commission for Co-operation. 15 April 09
