Kufuor Visits India

PRESIDENT JOHN Agyekum Kufuor has arrived in New Delhi to attend the India-Africa Summit.

He was met on arrival at the Indira Gandhi International Airport by Mr. J. Bentum-Williams, Ghana's Ambassador to India and officials from India's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Since his arrival, President Kufuor has called on the Indian Prime Minister, and the two leaders held bilateral talks behind closed doors.

Executives of a number of Indian corporate entities already doing business in Ghana, as well as others who are making serious efforts to enter the Ghanaian market have sought audience with President Kufuor.

Their interests ranged from telecom, through oil, energy, agriculture to manufacturing.

Some of the business entities were the Bharti-Airtel Group, whose interest is in the telecom business; the ECORTS Group, manufacturers of agricultural equipments and implements; ESSAR Oil Ltd, which had been to Ghana to exploit oil in the Saltpond field, now considering returning to the country in the wake Ghana's recent oil find; Angelique International who are interested in railways, rural electrification and exports; and ONGC Videsh Ltd, also interested in oil opportunities.

The President was accompanied by Hon. Osei Adjei, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and NEPAD, who arrived earlier to attend the Ministerial Conference leading to the Summit; Ambassador D. K. Osei; and Mr. Andrew Awuni, Press Secretary.

Meanwhile, the historic India-Africa Summit is underway in New Delhi, India.

The summit is being attended by 14 African countries and representatives of all the economic groupings on the continent, like the ECOWAS, as well as those with strategic interests in India.

The summit is being co-chaired by the Prime Minister of India and the Chairman of the African Union, President Kikwete of Tanzania.

Among the other Heads of State at the summit were Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia; Thabo Mbeki of South Africa; Yuweru Museveni of Uganda; Joseph Kabila of DR Congo; Abdulai Wade of Senegal; Vice President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan; President of the African Union, Professor Alpha Konare; Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers of some African countries.

Addressing the summit at the opening session, President Kufuor recalled the cordial relations between Ghana and India even before the West African country attained her independence.

He dwelt on some of the mutual benefits Ghana and India had reaped from their relationship and hoped that the cooperation being built between Africa and India would blossom for the prosperity of both sides.

From Ernest Nsiah Youngmann, New Delhi, India