Accra, Jan 24, GNA- President John Agyekum Kufuor on Saturday named the main auditorium of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) after Chancellor Gerhard Elmar Schroeder. He said the decision was in recognition of the special interest that he and the people of Germany had shown in the Centre.

President Kufuor said this at the joint inauguration of the KAIPTC at Teshie in Accra on the final day of the first visit of the German Chancellor to Ghana.

"Without your support we may perhaps not have reached this far in establishing this Centre," President Kufuor said.

The ultra modern Hall is fitted with state-of-the-art communications and audio-visual equipment to ease teaching and learning processes at the Centre, which has already started training military and other personnel from the West African Sub-Region.

Responding, Chancellor Schroeder said it was a great honour describing it as a mark of the excellent friendship and partnership between Ghana and Germany.

The visit to Ghana is the final leg of Chancellor Schoeder's four-nation seven-day Africa tour that has taken him to Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa.

The concept of the KAIPTC was first proposed in 1997 to reflect Ghana's growing commitment to UN Peacekeeping and Peace Support Missions throughout the world.

The first Commandant was appointed in 1998 with the Establishment Directive drawing on the experiences of Ghanaian soldiers in peacekeeping duties over the years.

The purpose is to develop a regional peacekeeping education and training institution with very high academic standards and research in peace support operations.

The Germans contributed 1.8 million Euros towards the building of the Centre while Canada, Italy, France, Netherlands, the UK and USA also gave some assistance.