Two Ambassadors present letters to Kufuor

Accra, Dec. 29 GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Thursday called on the European Union (EU) to chart a new strategic path to promote greater partnership and co-operation between Europe and Africa. He said with Asia coming up very strongly in terms of economic growth, it was important for Europe to look for a partner and that should be Africa. He said they had to look at the future together and that should be on the platform of joint business ventures. President Kufuor made the remarks when Mr Filiberto Ceriani Sebregondi, Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the Commission of the European Union, presented to him his Letters of Credence at the Castle, Osu. Also there, to present her Letters of Accreditation was the Zimbabwean Ambassador, Mrs Pavelyn Tendai Musaka.

President Kufuor expressed Ghana's appreciation for the financial support it has been receiving from the Union for road infrastructure development, economic reforms, good governance and the preservation of historical and cultural sites among other things. President Kufuor said it was the expectation of the country that the Union would support the networking of road and rail infrastructure to link it with neighbouring countries of Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire and Togo to boost trade in the West African Sub-Region. Mr Sebregondi said the EU had approved the "African-Europe Strategy" to help to strengthen the development partnership between European Nations and Africa.

The key elements of this, he said, were the promotion of good governance, infrastructure development and education. To the Zimbabwean Ambassador, President Kufuor said the two countries should find the basis of common interest to develop for the mutual benefits of their peoples. He said Zimbabwe had great potentials that must be developed so that Africa would be the beneficiary. President Kufuor said Ghana was no strange country to Zimbabwe as President Robert Mugabe lived and raised his family here and called for the strengthening of relationship between the two countries. Mrs Musaka said the area of trade was where they wanted to see more cooperation between the two countries.