Accra, June 22, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with a 14-member delegation of the United Nations Security Council at the Castle, Osu.

The delegation made up of representatives of member states of the Security Council with the exception of Russia is on a seven-nation West African tour.

President Kufuor, who is also the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), said the Sub-Region would continue to rely on the support and partnership of the Council to maintain peace and security.

He said, however, that such support should be provided on time to benefit the people in countries in dire need of the support. President Kufuor said the ECOWAS Secretariat was in dire need of assistance to improve its facilities to play its unique role in the Sub-Regional Grouping's determination to ensure the restoration and maintenance of peace and security for development.

Sir Emry Jones Parry, United Kingdom Permanent representative at the UN and leader of the delegation said about 60 per cent of the Council's budget and time was spent on the maintenance of peace in Africa and a substantial part of this was spent on West Africa.

He said although their visit was to the trouble-spots within the Sub-Region, Ghana was included because of her role in ensuring peace and stability within the Sub-Region and also President Kufuor as the Chairman of ECOWAS and his sterling leadership qualities and role to maintain peace and stability for development.

Sir Emry said peace; security and development were intertwined because there could be no development without peace and security anywhere on the globe.

He pledged the Council's co-operation for all regional and sub-regional groupings on the African Continent yearning for peace and security. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Minister of Foreign Affairs said the tour of the delegation was to afford them an opportunity for first-hand information on the situation within the Sub-Region and how best to solve them.

The delegation is expected to visit Cote D'Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone. 22 June 04