The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD, Nana Akufo-Addo has commended the United States government for its 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 back to Ghana’s independence. Nana Akufo-Addo was speaking at a reception organised by the U.S Mission in Accra to commemorate the 231st Independence of the United States of America. In attendance were Ambassador Andrew Young and Rev. Jesse. Also, present were 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. The Winneba Youth Choir, 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. The US Ambassador in Ghana Ms Pamela E. Bridgewater 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. Credit: GNA