Ghanaian Ambassador Coming to U.Va. Dec. 6

December 2, 2011 — Ghana's ambassador to the United States, Daniel Ohene Agyekum, will discuss his country's role in the African Union, the role the Ghanaian diaspora and Ghana's emerging market Tuesday evening at the University of Virginia.

Agyekum is speaking as part of the Ambassador Speaker's Forum at 6 p.m. in the Dome Room of the Rotunda. The talk is free and open to the public and sponsored by the Office of the Vice Provost for International Programs, the Center for International Studies and the Organization of African Students.

Agyekum has been ambassador to the U.S. since 2009 and has served in his country's Foreign Service since the mid 1960s.

Ghana is one of 53 member states of the African Union, a regional organization that addresses numerous issues across the continent, including the AIDS/HIV epidemic, malaria, regional security, economic issues and famine. The A.U., formed in 2002 as a successor to the Organization of African Unity, encourages the African diaspora to advance Africa in the 21st century.

Ghana has been promoting itself to potential investors as a safe and stable place, in contrast to markets in upheaval in Europe, the U.S and Japan. Ghana's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Kwaku Danso-Boafo, told members at an investment forum in London last week that his country is a safe bet. "I would like to take this opportunity to assure you that your efforts will not be in vain as the Ghanaian economy provides very attractive returns on investment," he said.

The City of Charlottesville has a sister city in Ghana. Winneba is located in central Ghana, approximately 40 miles west of the capital, Accra. The Charlottesville / Winneba connection is intended to promote and foster relationships between the two communities through cultural, economic, educational and humanitarian activities. Charlottesville Mayor David Norris will attend Tuesday's talk and present a gift to Agyekum from the city.

— By Jane Kelly   

Media Contact

Jane Kelly

Office of University Communications