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President Bush lands in Ghana
Feb 19, Ghanadot - Ghana, on Tuesday 19,
2008, got the opportunity to welcome a US President who has
been very generous in his policies towards Africa as Air
Force One, carrying George Walker Bush and Laura Bush, the
First Lady, touched down at Accra International Airport.
President John Agyekum Kufuor was on the tarmac to
officially welcome President Bush and his entourage.
Also on hand were some Ministers of State and members of the
Diplomatic Corps.
Nine-year old Mabel Addo-Baah of the Christ the King
International School, Cantonments, Accra, presented the US
President with a bouquet.
After exchanging pleasantries, the two Leaders moved to the
Jubilee Lounge for brief discussions as a cultural group of
the Musician Association of Ghana, the African Showtime
Dancers treated President Bush to some beautiful cultural
display.
The meeting between President Kufuor and his guest lasted
for about 25 minutes.
Security was tight and the airport was closed to other
planes while a helicopter of the Ghana Air Force hovered
above.
Before enplaning for Ghana from Kigali, President Bush paid
a sombre homage to the estimated 800,000 people killed in
Rwanda's genocide and urged global action to end the
bloodshed in Sudan's Dafur Region once and for all.
This is the second time in 10 years that Ghana is playing
host to a sitting American President after Former President
Bill Clinton visited on March 23, 1998.
Ceremonies to formally welcome and roll out the red carpet
to President Bush would take place at Castle, Osu and seat
of the Government, on Wednesday morning.
This would begin with the mounting of the Guard of Honour by
96 Officers of the Ghana Air Force, the traditional 21-gun
salute and spectacular cultural performance by a troupe of
traditional drummers and dancers.
President Bush, who is spending two nights in the country,
would review the progress of US funded efforts to advance
economic development and fight HIV-AIDS, malaria and other
treatable diseases with President Kufuor.
Ghana and the US, the world's most advanced economy, are
enjoying good bilateral relations under President Kufuor and
President Bush.
America's development assistance to the country in 2007
totalled more than 55.1 million dollars with programmes in
small farmer competitiveness; health including HIV-AIDS,
maternal and child health; education; democracy and
governance.
Ghana's 547-million-dollar compact with the Millennium
Challenge Corporation is the most recent achievement in the
US-Ghanaian development partnership.
President Bush has already been to Benin, Tanzania and
Rwanda as part of the six-day official tour, the second and
most likely the last to Africa in his two-term Presidency.
Liberia is the other country he would be visiting on
Thursday to wrap up the trip.
Washington sees President Kufuor and the Heads of State of
the four other countries as a new generation of progressive
African Leaders.
GNA
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