Accra, Feb. 11, GNA - Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan will pay a four-day official visit to Ghana from March 7 to 10, the Japanese Ambassador in Ghana announced in Accra on Thursday.

Speaking during a visit to the Ghana News Agency, the Mr. Keiichi Katakami, the Ambassador, said the visit was in response to an invitation from President John Atta Mills.

The visit, which will be his first to sub-Saharan Africa, aims at boosting the bilateral ties between the two countries and will also take him to Kenya. Mr Katakami said the Crown Prince would call on President Mills, visit the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, the Dr Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Laboratory in Korle Bu Teaching Hospital as well as other places of interest. "The Crown Prince would also attend the first Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize Memorial Symposium which would be held in Accra on the 9th of March," he said.

The Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Prize was founded in commemoration of Dr Noguchi, a Japanese doctor who died in Accra in 1928 from yellow fever, a disease he was researching into.

Mr Katakami called for more cooperation between the two countries and praised Ghana for its production of quality chocolate which had gained popularity in Japan.

He said his visit was also to seek cooperation between the Embassy and assistance and corporation between the Embassy and the GNA, especially in the area of training.

Mr Boakye-Dankwa Boadi, the Chief Supervisor Editor, expressed his gratitude to the Embassy for its assistance to the Agency including the provision of computers for its regional offices.