Ho, April 24, GNA - The Ho Municipal Assembly and the city of Javenpaa in Finland, on Tuesday signed a three-year renewable co-operation agreement leading to identification of areas of co-operation to their mutual benefit.

The signing of the agreement climaxed contacts between the partner cities dating back to July 2005.

Mr Mawutor Goh, Ho Municipal Chief Executive, signed on behalf of the Municipal Assembly, while Ms Elisa Hyytiainen, Vice-President of the Javenpaa City Board signed on behalf of that city.

During a plenary session, Ms Saija Ohtonen, Programme Co-ordinator said the Ho Municipal Assembly was the first West African city to come on board her country's North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme, which had been limited to East and Southern Africa until now. She said the aim of such co-operation was to share expertise and information among partners to increase availability of quality of services to the people, promote good governance at the local government level by deepening citizen participation and ability to influence government.

Ms Ohtonen said the principle to guide their co-operation were equality of participation at the level of the two cities, genders and reciprocity.

She said areas that could engage the attention of the co-operation were education, early childhood development, youth and culture, city planning, health, tourism, sanitation management and recycling. Mr Goh said the agreement would be made available to all stakeholders including community representatives to enable them to identify their areas and roles in implementing projects to be undertaken.

He assured that the results that would emerge in the implementation of the programmes and projects under the co-operation would be the best in Africa.

Speaking on behalf of Togbe Afede XIV Agbogbomefia at a durbar of chiefs in Ho to welcome the delegation, Togbe Adzi Lakle the XII, the Awafia of Ho Asogli pledged the co-operation of the chiefs and people of Ho in fostering the new partnership between the Municipal Assembly and the City of Javenpaa.

He was optimistic that the partnership would not be like previous ones, which had been stillborn. 25 April 07