A statement issued by the French Embassy and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Monday said the visit was in prospect of her candidacy for the position of UNESCO Director-General as elections to the executive committee of the organisation, which comes off in October.

It said Mrs Azoulay, on her tour, met with the President Nana Akufo-Addo, Minister of Tourism and Creative arts, Mrs Catherine Afeku and various Ghanaian personalities from the cultural sector.

The statement said Mrs Azoulay’s visit to Accra enabled her to develop her ideas and projects which she plans to implement particularly where UNESCO’s activities in Africa are concerned, reaffirming her readiness to ensure the empowerment of individuals through the promotion of science and culture.

It said in this regard, she emphasised on the importance she attached to the development of education and the structures which encourage the thriving of the youth on every level.  

“Education is essential for limiting the influence of identity politics and for encouraging openness. It affords people the opportunity to discover and share in exchanges of knowledge and common values, which are based on mutual respect. This is why I will make education my priority,” she affirmed.

Mrs Azoulay also revealed her vision for Africa. According to her, UNESCO’s objectives need to be reaffirmed, particularly in Africa by harnessing its wide networking capacity, which represents the organisation’s strength and is also an innovative means of promoting education, international training and cooperation among universities.

The statement said along with the Ambassador of France, Mr François Pujolas, Mrs Azoulay had a meeting with Mr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Deputy Minister of Education.

It said next, she met a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Charles Owiredu after which she was received at the Flagstaff House for an audience with the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The statement said Mrs Azoulay was finally hosted at a reception at the Residence of France, with former President John Agyekum Kufuor, the Minister of Tourism and Culture, Mrs Afeku as well as other personalities from the cultural sector in attendance.

The statement said the UNESCO Director General hopeful in her discussions with these personalities, spoke on her vision for Africa and Ghana, for that matter, and on the policies which she planned to introduce or to reinforce.

It noted that Mrs Azoulay’s tour was also marked by a visit of the Osu Castle, which is along with other forts in Ghana listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.