Madagascan president leaves for Germany

Madagascan President Marc Ravalomanana left here late Sunday for a week-long official visit to Germany at the invitation of his German counterpart Horst Kohler.

The president left the country soon after a wedding ceremony for his son, Tojo Ravalomanana, Le Quotidien, a French-language news daily, reported on Monday.

Madagascar is eager to strengthen what was officially described as fruitful relationship between the two countries in the context that Antananarivo is in the period of realization of Madagascar Action Plan, an economic development blueprint for the next five years till 2012.

The Indian Ocean island country is also eager to further improve relations with the European Union, which is now under German's presidency.

Horst Kohler paid an official visit to Antananarivo in April 2006.

The European Union has provided 900 million Euros (approximately 1219.4 million U.S. dollars) to finance two concentration domains in Madagascar for infrastructural and transport construction, and for rural development and security.

It was officially announced that the Prime minister Charles Rabemananjara would act for the president during Ravalomanana's visit to Bonn.

Source: Xinhua