Accra, April 23, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday commended Canada for her tremendous support to Ghana especially for initiating the Multi-Donor Budgetary Support.

Under this initiative Ghana together with other four African countries, Senegal, Mali, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Mozambique would receive direct budgetary support from the Canadian Government.

He said: "We have to acknowledge the initiative of Canada to move this agenda in addition to her support for good governance, the economy and democratisation in Ghana through the electoral system".

President Kufuor made the commendation when Mr Paul Thibault President of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), who is on a three-day working visit to Ghana, paid a courtesy call on him at the Castle, Osu.

Mr Thibault, who arrived in Ghana from Mali last Wednesday is visiting Africa for the first time since assumption of office in May 2003 and had already visited Senegal where he met and interacted with civil society groups, local beneficiaries of CIDA funded projects and government officials.

President Kufuor said CIDA had played an active role in the improvement of the living standards of the people in the Upper East and Upper West Regions.

"We treasure the relationship between CIDA and the people. We encourage you to deepen this relationship further for our mutual benefit", he said.

Mr Thibault said the Canadian assistance to Ghana was based on the transparency in governance and Ghana's initiative and role under the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

He expressed appreciation to the tremendous improvement in the implementation of projects in agriculture and water with the assistance of CIDA as well as improvement in the lives of the people within the project areas.

Mr Thibault said Canada assisted in the peace process undertaken by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) within the Sub-Region with about 100,000 dollars and this amount was expected to be increased in future towards the maintenance ofpeace and stability in West Africa.