Ghana's new High Commissioner to Australia, His Excellency Paul Yaw Essel has presented his Letters of Accreditation at a colourful ceremony in Canberra.

Mr Essel, a career diplomat, assumed duty in October 2009, and presented his letters to the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, Ms Quentin Bryce, at Government House in the Australian federal capital on 26th November, 2009

The High Commissioner-Designate was accompanied by three officials of the Mission - Mr. Paul Badu Antwi, Minister (Consular), Mr. Leonard Daniel Mensah, Minister-Counsellor and Mrs. Doris Crah, Third Secretary/Administration.

The High Commissioner-Designate and his team were resplendent in their kente cloth for the brief ceremony.

After presentation to the Governor-General by the Chief of Protocol, the High Commissioner-designate handed his Letters of Accreditation to the Governor-General. The two then took turns to introduce their entourage to each other.

The High Commissioner and the Governor General then had private discussions, after which Mr Essel was invited to inspect a Guard of Honour mounted on the grounds of Government House.

After completing the inspection the High Commissioner left Government House in the Crown Rolls Royce with Police Motor Cycle escort, followed by his entourage in a Commonwealth car, to the tune of the Ghana National Anthem.

The entire ceremony was rounded off with a High Tea hosted by the Governor-General on the lawns of Government House later in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, High Commissioner Essel was introduced to the *Ghanaian community in Sydney at a Christmas party on Boxing Day.

In a short address, the Ghana High Commissioner told the gathering that he would work assiduously to pursue Ghana's fundamental foreign policy objectives of promoting friendly political and economic relations between Ghana and the Commonwealth of Australia as well as the other countries of concurrent accreditation.

In this effort, Mr Essel said he would count on the invaluable and indispensable assistance of patriotic Ghanaian citizens in Australia.