C'wealth awards scholarships to Ghanaian Diplomats

Accra, May 10, GNA - The Commonwealth has awarded scholarships to four Ghanaian diplomats to undertake post-graduate studies at the Cambridge University in the United Kingdom.

The award, which is under the Commonwealth-Cambridge Trust, would be for the period 2005/2006. Two recipients of the award would undertake the course in each year.

This was announced by Mr Don McKinnon, Secretary General of the Commonwealth at a pre-departure press conference held at the VIP Lounge of the Kotoko International Airport in Accra on Monday.

He did not give details of the award but said it would help improve performance of the diplomatic service in Ghana.

Mr Mckinnon arrived in Ghana last Friday as part of a one week tour of three West African Countries that also took him to Sierra Leone and the Gambia.

In Ghana, Mr McKinnon conferred with President John Agyekum Kufuor and participated in the Asanteman Adae Kese festival and the firth anniversary of the enthronement of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the Kumasi Sports Stadium last Sunday.

The Secretary General said he was overwhelmed by the attendance and display of the rich Ghanaian culture and tradition at the festival. Mr Mckinnon said: " It is an amazing spectacle to tell the world the way tradition and culture could have linkages with contemporary society for development".

He said the lifting of subsidies on agricultural products announced by the European Union (EU) was laudable especially for the peasant farmers in developing countries such as those in Africa to have a big leap in their efforts to generate enough income to improve on their standard of living.

Mr McKinnon has since left for London.