President Bush Begins Visit Tuesday

By Stephen K. Effah
Thursday, 14 February 2008

United States President George Bush is due in Ghana next Tuesday, February 19, for a three-day state visit.

The visit forms part of his five-nation tour of Africa also covering Liberia, Sierra Leone, Benin and Tanzania.

President Bush’s visit will be the second time Ghana will be hosting a US president. The first was in 1998 when President Bill Clinton paid a day’s visit to the country.

The Foreign Minister, Akwasi Osei-Adjei, at a news conference in Accra yesterday, said President Bush will be accompanied by his wife, Laura and US business executives.

He said during the visit, Mr. Bush and his host and their respective teams will hold bilateral talks at the Castle.

The talks according to him, will focus on policy initiatives such as the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), President Bush’s Malaria Initiative Programme, the African Education Initiative and Bush’s Emergency Plan for AIDS relief to which the US has committee over 40 billion dollars support for anti retroviral treatment globally.

The achievements made between Ghana – US private investments, he said, would also feature prominently during the summit.

Mr Osei-Adjei said the summit will review some international topics of interest to both countries, especially Ghana’s role in addressing security concerns in troubled regions since both countries benefit greatly from major military training support in Ghana – US military co-operation.

"Relations between Ghana and US are now at an all time high. Ghana remains poised to take full advantage of the many initiatives of the current administration geared at Africa’s development," he said.

The Foreign Minister said Ghana was currently a focal point of many initiatives under US policy on Africa designed to help the continent to develop with the framework of four main priority areas.

He named the areas as support and promotion of democratic governance and political freedom, expansion of economic growth and opportunity through trade and investment and the fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.