Accra, June 16, GNA - Mr. Akwasi Osei-Adjei, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD, left Accra on Sunday for Cotonou, Benin, as the head of Ghana's delegation to the 10th Ordinary Session of the Summit of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) in Cotonou.

Mr Osei-Adjei, who is representing President John Agyekum Kufuor, is expected to deliver the President's statement at the Summit, which would touch on the current global food and energy crises and the role that CEN-SAD could play to mitigate their effects on member countries. Briefing the press at the Kotoka International Airport before his

departure, the Minister said Ghana joined CEN-SAD, which is a 25-member regional organization, in 2005, as part of Government's foreign policy goal to integrate the country firmly with its neighbouring

region, in pursuit of the policies of good neighbourliness and economic

diplomacy. Mr Osei-Adjei told the press that since Ghana's membership of the

Community of Sahel-Saharan States, a branch office of CEN-SAD Bank

had been opened in Accra. He added that within the overall goal for a true Union of Africa,

Ghana was seeking to further actively participating in all projects of

CEN-SAD, such as the Rural Development and Natural Resources

Strategy and the Great Green Wall Programme. Mr Osei-Adjei, who is also Member of Parliament for Ejisu-Juaben,

said the meeting of the Executive Council of CEN-SAD, which

preceded the Summit, would discuss the political and security situation

in a number of countries including Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Somalia and

Sudan. While in Cotonou, the Minister is expected to unveil a plaque on

Thursday, 19 June 2008, to commission the newly constructed

Chancery of the Embassy of Ghana.