[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 15 (Monday, April 17, 2006)]
[Pages 698-699]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following Discussions With President John Agyekum Kufuor of 
Ghana

April 12, 2006

    President Bush. Mr. President, welcome. It's good to have you back. 
We just had a wonderful discussion about our bilateral relations and a 
great discussion about the world. I really enjoy talking to a man of 
vision and strength and character. President Kufuor has done a fantastic 
job for Ghana. He's told the people of his country he'd bring honesty to 
government, and he has. He told the people of his country that he would 
work on a--create a stable economic platform for--and he has done that 
as well. And he's a man of peace. He cares deeply about peace in the 
region.
    As a result of his leadership and our confidence in his Government, 
we're very happy to work with his country to promote what we've called 
the Millennium Challenge Account. It's a statement of our respect, and 
it's a statement for our appreciation for somebody who is willing to 
invest in his people, is willing to fight corruption, who is willing to 
help a market economy grow.
    Mr. President, congratulations on your record of leadership. Thank 
you for being a man of peace. Thank you for coming to Washington.
    President Kufuor. I want to thank the President for understanding 
Africa. His works, for the past 5 years or so, have done so much in 
terms of contributing to the fight

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against HIV/AIDS on two fronts--the fund you set up, $15 billion fund, 
some of which has helped to, in a way, save and also make life easier 
for over 400,000 afflicted people.
    Then on the education front, I was honored with a visit from Mrs. 
Bush just about 2 months ago, during which she launched a program 
towards linking the messages of the United States and Africa, to work 
out curriculum for primary and basic education, and also for supplying 
textbooks and education materials for children, and also helping with 
education for girls.
    And then there's AGOA, which Ghana is benefiting from, even though 
there we need more help. [Laughter] And then there's the TIFA, Trade and 
Investment Framework law. I believe this is a President that is helping 
Africa help itself. And we count on your support.
    On the MCA front, everything going to plan, Ghana and the United 
States will sign a compact by July. And that would enable Ghana pursue 
modernized agriculture. We are largely an agricultural country, and 
these projects that would free hundreds of millions of dollars to help 
modernize our agriculture would affect as many as 3 million people, help 
reduce poverty, and also push growth for the economy.
    So we see the President as a friend of Ghana's, and I can say, of 
much of Africa. Thank you.
    President Bush. Thank you, Mr. President. Let's go have lunch.

Note: The President spoke at 11:57 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White 
House.