General News of Monday, 1 January 2007

Source: GNA

High Profile personalities to visit Ghana

Accra, Dec. 31 GNA - A number of high profile personalities including the Head of State of the Federal Republic of Germany, President Horst Kohler would visit Ghana in 2007, President John Agyekum Kufuor announced in his New Year's Eve nationwide radio and television broadcast.

He said under the auspices of President Kohler a programme dubbed "Partnership with Africa initiative, which is targeted at the youth would be launched in Accra adding that a number of heads of State including President Olusegun obasanjo of Nigeria; President Festus Mogae of Botswana; President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa would participate in the Conference. President Kufuor said the Deputy prime Minister of Britain, Mr John Prescott would be in Ghana in February to jointly launch a programme on the Abolition of Chattel slavery.

He said for the highlights of the Ghana's Golden Jubilee Celebration on March 6 2007 many Heads of State of sister countries in Africa and beyond were expected to visit Accra.

President Kufuor said in the case of the African nations, their presence would be in recognition of Ghana's seminal contribution to the struggle for the liberation of the Continent.

Among the personalities expected in March 2007 would be the Duke of Kent, whose mother deputised for her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and Ireland, on March 6 1957.

He said prior to the Independence Day celebration, Busumuru Kofi Annan, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations would be in Ghana to deliver a series of lectures to herald and commemorate the Jubilee. President Kufuor said the Africa Union Summit would be held in Accra as well as a conference of World Finance Ministers titled 93World Financing for Development" and major meeting on the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) of the United States of America.