Nana Akuffo Addo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD has commended the United States government for its continues assistance to Ghana in the areas of education, health and agriculture. He called for further strengthening of ties between the two countries, which he said, dates far back to 50's when the country attained its impendence. Nana Akuffo Addo was speaking at a reception organised by the U.S Mission to commemorate the 231st Impendence of the United States of America in Accra. This year's independence commemoration was unique in many aspects as many prominent American citizens including Ambassador Andrew Young and Rev. Jesse Jackson who were in the country for the African Union Summit joined their compatriots many of whom are working with various organisations in Ghana to mark the occasion. The Fisk Jubilee Singers from Tennessee and the US Top Side Navy band based in Naples, Italy where also invited to perform at the programme. Nana Akuffo Addo said America's independence of "July 4" marks a turning point in the history of mankind in that the issues of human rights and democracy were brought to the fore. He also commanded the role played by Civil Rights leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr., Ban Banson, Ralf Johnson and others in the struggle for black emancipation in the U.S. Ms Pamela E. Bridgewater, US Ambassador in Ghana announced that the consular section of the embassy had initiated procedures to accelerate the processing of exchange and student visitors to allow them to apply for visas without appointment. She said the mission had also put in place new measures to collect DNA samples from people to enable the embassy eliminate the backlog in immigrant visas and to unite families quickly. She expressed the confidence that the self help projects that the US government had initiated in the country would go along way to improve the living standards of vulnerable people by providing them with clean water, better health care as well as micro-finances for their businesses. Present at the reception was the Mr Felix Owusu Agyapong, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Majority Leader, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister for Public Sector Reform, former President Jerry John Rawlings, Dr Edward Mahama, Leader of the People's National Convention (PNC) and leaders of various religious organisations Source: GNA