Accra (Greater Accra), 7 Dec ’98 – President Jerry John Rawlings returned home today after attending the ninth Franco-African summit in Paris, France, and a two-day official visit to Belgium. He was accompanied by the First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, and the minister of foreign Affairs, Mr Victor Gbeho. As the president descended the gangway on a British Airways flight, he was presented with a bouquet by nine-year-old Edna Aryee of Osu Presby Girls School, while Miss Priscilla Adjin of the same school presented another one to the First Lady. At the airport to meet the president and his entourage were the Vice-President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia, chairman of the Council of State, ministers of state, and service commanders. Others were Mr Kobby Koomson, Ghana’s ambassador to the United States, Mr Danso Boafo, Ghana’s ambassador to Cuba, the French ambassador, M Didier Ferrand , Mr Ibrahim Omar, Palestinian ambassador and Dean of the diplomatic corps in Ghana, and a large crowd of NDC supporters. The Franco-African summit discussed peace and security on the continent with emphasis on the crisis in the Great Lakes region. In Belgium, President Rawlings held meetings with the Belgian Prime minister on bilateral issues as well as Ghana/EU relations.
