Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo was late Wednesday decorated with one of Ghana's highest honours, the Companion of the Order of the Star of Ghana (Ordinary Division).

Ghana's President John A. Kufuor decorated President Gbagbo with the medal at a state banquet in Accra as part of his two-day official visit to Ghana.

In a citation, Ghana's foreign affairs minister Hackman Owusu-Agyeman said the honour was in appreciation of Gbagbo's relentless struggle for true democracy, fundamental rights of his people and his good leadership qualities.

"You supported ECOWAS and made progress towards stability in the subregion. In addition, you worked tirelessly to foster bilateral ties between countries and your outstanding leadership led to building bridges of co-operation between the two countries", the minister said.

Meanwhile, President Kufuor said that the Treaty of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) seeks not only to regularise formal contacts, but also to provide member countries with an easier, collective platform of dealing with the outside world.

Unfortunately, Kufuor observed, leaders within the subregion have tended to lack the political will to transform the vision of the treaty into reality.

"The challenge, therefore, is to rededicate ourselves towards the attainment of the noble objectives contained in the treaty."

He noted that the subregion has been in turmoil and several of the countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea have been plagued with political instability in the last decade.

"Those enjoying some peace must accept the responsibility to help resolve the conflicts among these countries", Kufuor said, appealing to Cote d'Ivoire to provide refuge to victims of the conflicts and join Ghana and Nigeria in maintaining peace in those countries.

"Apart from the human tragedy, these upheavals have served as unnecessary distractions from the real task that faces us of trying to improve upon the quality of life of our people.

"We dare not shirk this urgent responsibility and we must accept that when it comes to reputation, the outside world does not distinguish much between the islands of peace and stability within a turbulent subregion".

President Kufuor said the economic advances and investments that all the countries seek from the outside world would not come as long as the subregion has a reputation for instability.