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November 13, 2006
Visit was very successful - President
Kufuor
London, Nov. 13, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor has
described his visit to China, the Republic of Korea and
Japan as very successful, saying “the benefits to Ghana are
going to be enormous".
Asia, he said, had become a major pole in the global village
and it was, therefore, important that "we develop our
relations with them".
President Kufuor was in Beijing, China, to attend the
China-Africa Forum, which was meant to fashion out a new
trade and investment relation between China and Africa. From
there he went to Korea for another summit before paying a
two-day official visit to Japan.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Foreign Minister, Mr Joseph
Kofi Adda, Energy Minister and some other senior Government
officials accompanied him.
President Kufuor told newsmen in London that Finance
Minister, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu would head a delegation to
China to seal a deal on the funding of the Bui
Hydro-Electric Dam Project within the next couple of weeks.
The Project estimated to cost 600 million dollars would have
the capacity to generate 400 megawatts of electricity and
the Chinese have offered a 50 per cent grant element to
finance it with Ghana pushing for 70 per cent.
President Kufuor said even if China stuck to the 50 per cent
grant it had put on the table, it was still very soft and a
windfall.
He said, however, that following discussions he held with
his Chinese counterpart, Mr Hu Jintao, he was convinced that
through skilful negotiations, Ghana could get more.
President Kufuor said the country needed to double its
energy capacity within the foreseeable future to keep pace
with the expected development demands and it was for this
reason that the Bui Project became more important.
He said the Government was concerned about the likely
environmental problems that could result from the
construction of the Project and gave the assurance that
adequate measures would be put in place to sustain the
balance of nature in the area.
He said energy, reconstruction of the railway system and
waste management were central in almost all his discussions
with the leaders and captains of industry in the three
countries.
President Kufuor said without an efficient and reliable
railway system, it would be uneconomical to move the
country's natural resources.
Besides, the new roads being
built would be destroyed faster than expected.
China has agreed to send a team of experts to come over to
Ghana to study the system.
President Kufuor said during his meeting with the Japanese
Prime Minister, Mr Shinzo Abe, he reminded him that the
intended benefits of the Noguchi Prize for Research and
Medicine Japan had instituted could not be realized if the
problems of poor sanitation and waste management were not
addressed.
Japan, therefore, accepted to use its remarkable experience
in waste management to assist in establishing waste
management plants in Ghana.
President Kufuor returns home on Monday night.
GNA
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