Ghanaian President John Agyekum Kufuor and a high-powered delegation begin a six-day official trip to France from Friday to firm up trade and political ties.

The visit, which will be Kufuor's first official visit to France since he took power in January, follows an invitation from French President Jacques Chirac.

Kufuor will lead a team that includes Finance Minister Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Regional Co-operation and Integration Minister Kwesi N'duom, leading businessmen and senior officials of the Association of Ghana Industries and the Ghana Chamber of Commerce.

Jean-Michel Berrit, France's ambassador in Ghana, said: "One of the main reasons why President Kufuor has been invited was the successful transition that Ghana underwent as a result of the December 2000 elections." The democratic vote ended 19 years of rule by Jerry Rawlings, the former air force officer who came to power after mounting a military coup.

Berrit said that Kufuor would meet Chirac, Prime Minister Lionel Jospin and other senior political figures. The issues to be dealt with in bilateral discussions would include both regional and international political issues, he said. "President Kufuor's vision on political and economic issues in the west African sub-region will be very valuable.

"His views on international issues would also be sought," Berrit said. "Ghana has shown her willingness to co-operate with Francophone Africa.

"Ghana is also seen as one with a lot of experience in security issues in the region, especially in the area of peace-keeping," said Berrit.

Ghana, a former British colony, has as neighbours a number of former French colonies, which include Burkina Faso, C?te d'Ivoire and Togo. This west African nation has played a regional role, sending peace-keeping troops to the Democratic Republic of Congo and also to war-wracked Sierra Leone.

A government official said that Kufuor was upbeat about the trip.

"The president is looking forward to this trip opening the way for greater co-operation between Ghana and France in particular and Ghana and Francophone west Africa in general," he said.

Rawlings paid his last official visit to France in March 1999.

Kufuor's visit is aimed also at fine-tuning economic relations, according to Ghanaian officials.

France is the third-largest foreign investor in Ghana after former colonial power Britain and the US. In addition France is Ghana's fifthlargest supplier and its seventhlargest customer.

French exports to Ghana last year were worth a total of $104m, while Ghanaian exports to France amounted to $86m.

According to the French embassy, French sales to Ghana between January and August this year amounted to $96,3m, which represented a 57% rise on the corresponding period last year.

Ghanaian exports amounted to 62,1m in the same period a 6% rise over the first eight months of the previous year.

French development aid to Ghana over the past three years has averaged $21,6m a year, according to the embassy.

The current portfolios of 15 continuing projects undertaken jointly by the Agence Fran?aise de Developpement and the Ghana government are estimated to be worth about $76,5m.

About 50 French companies are operating in Ghana today in various sectors, which include petroleum products, services and infrastructure.