November 2, 2001
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien today announced that the President of the Republic of Ghana John Agyekum Kufuor will make a State visit to Canada on November 3 to 6, 2001, at the invitation of Governor General Adrienne Clarkson.

"Ghana’s peaceful and transparent transition of political power from one democratically elected government to another, is a model for many African countries," said the Prime Minister. "As we prepare for the G8 Summit in Kananaskis, we welcome this opportunity to consult with a country like Ghana, which embodies many aspects of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development."

In Toronto, President Kufuor will meet with members of the city’s Ghanaian community. In Ottawa, he will meet with the Prime Minister to discuss further cooperation and the Genoa Plan for Africa, mandated at the 2001 G8 Summit, and with the Minister for International Cooperation Maria Minna to discuss Canada’s development assistance program in Ghana, one of Canada’s most significant country programs in Africa and the Middle East. President Kufuor will also meet with Governor General Clarkson and with the speakers of the Senate and of the House.

President Kufuor will be the first Ghanaian Head of State to visit Canada since the country’s independence in 1957.

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