Accra, Aug.13, GNA - The Japanese government has invited President John Agyekum Kufuor, Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to deliver the keynote address at the Third Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD III), which opens in Tokyo on September 29.

The invitation was announced by Mrs Kazuko Asai, Japanese Ambassador in Ghana when she paid a courtesy call on President Kufuor at the Castle, Osu on Wednesday.

She said with the tremendous efforts made by President Kufuor towards the restoration of peace and stability within the Sub-Region, especially in Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia it was appropriate he shared his sterling leadership qualities with other world leaders.

President Kufuor, who accepted the invitation commended Japan for her support to socio-economic development efforts in Africa.

Last month, President Kufuor accepted a similar offer by the visiting UN Under-Secretary and Rector of the UN University, Professor Hans J.A. Van Ginkel who led a three-man delegation from the UN University Institute for Natural Resources In Africa (UNIRIA) based in Accra to address the same conference in Japan.

The Conference, held every five years since 1993, and attended by African Heads of State and Government, affords the Japanese government the opportunity to co-operate with their counterparts.