Accra, Oct. 12, GNA - President John Evans Atta Mills, on Tuesday, underscored the need for more collaboration between Ghana, her West African neighbours and development partners to use their resources to improve the standard of living of the people. He said despite linguistic and other barriers created by the sub-region's colonial past, West African nations had a lot in common that they could use to the advantage of their people. President Mills made the statement at the Flagstaff House in Accra when he received the letters of credence of Mr Assouma Nouhoun, Ambassador-designate of Benin to Ghana.

Four other ambassadors-designate also presented their letters. They are Mr Gerard Duijfies from the Netherlands, Mr Gobopang Duke Lefhoko from Botswana, Madam Trudy Kenigham from Canada and Mr Eberhard Schanze from Germany.

President Mills, who extended a hearty welcome to the envoys, and congratulated them on their appointments, observed that Ghana had had cordial relations with her sister nations and development partners. He expressed the hope that the relations between Ghana and these countries would even be further enhanced during their duty tour. President Mills commended Benin for her role in West African trade, thanked her for hosting Ghanaian students on French Language Exchange Programmes and praised her as a champion of democracy. President Mills reiterated his message to citizens in the sub-region to throw their weight behind leaders once they were elected to push forward the development of the countries on the Continent. At the turn of the Netherlands Ambassador-designate, President Mills said Accra valued her relations with the European nation, which dated back to a few centuries.

President Mills registered Ghana's appreciation to the Netherlands for the various forms of assistance, mentioning Budgetary Support, School Feeding Programme, democracy and technical support and the desire to assist in the oil and gas sector.

President Mills said the Government would ensure that the oil becomes a blessing. He said the exploitation of the oil imposed on Government a serious obligation to ensure that it becomes a support system for the economy rather than the backbone.

"Thanks for your support for democracy," he said to the development partner. "I'm aware that you represent the country which has been very generous to us. Extend our warmest greetings to your President and people. May God bless you in your efforts."

At the turn of the German ambassador-designate, President Mills thanked the European-nation for assisting Ghana in the fields of medical training, education and technical cooperation. He said the Government would team up with Germany to promote democracy, education and develop Ghana's infrastructural development. The Canadian ambassador-designate, Madam Kenighan, expressed the hope that aside diplomacy, relations between the two countries would be enhanced during her duty tour.

President Mills said he was hopeful that she would serve with distinction.

He praised Canada's assistance to Ghana's rural development and singled out her assistance in the sinking of boreholes, especially, in Northern Ghana. At the turn of the Botswana ambassador-designate, President Mills, who described Botswana as "an older democracy," stressed the need for more intra-African cooperation to accelerate the continent's development.