Currently Acting Director of the Europe Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Appreku holds a Bachelor of Laws LL.B. (Hons) degree (1985) from the University of Ghana, Legon, and a Barrister-at-Law (1987). He also holds a post-graduate diploma in Development Diplomacy from the DSE, Berlin, and a Masters degree (M.A.) in International Affairs from the Legon Centre for International Affairs (LECIA), University of Ghana, Legon.

Previous positions held include the following: Acting Director/Africa and AU Bureau (2000 and 2006); Acting Director/Legal and Consular Bureau (2002/3); sworn-in by the President of Ghana as member of the reconstituted Ghana Refugee Board (2002/3); Member/Ghana National Commission on Children (1990/1); Member/Passports Committee.

Served as First Secretary/ later Counsellor/Head of Chancery (and was part of the pioneering team that opened the new Ghana High Commission in Pretoria in 1995 following the end of Apartheid); Minster-Counsellor/Head of Chancery of the Embassy of Ghana in Beijing, China (2000-2002); and Minister-Counsellor, Embassy of Ghana, Brasilia (2003-2004). Served as Charge d'Affaires a.i at various times in Pretoria, Brasilia and Beijing.

Other past assignments include Chairman/Africa Day Planning Committee (2006), Member/Legal Adviser of Ghana's negotiating team that reviewed Ghana's treaty relations with reunified Germany in 1990. Research Officer/Treaties of Ghana Research Project undertaken jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs/ the University of Ghana (Faculty of Law) for which he received commendation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for his role in the completion of the project. Was instrumental in Ghana's ratification of six key UN human rights treaties, namely; the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR); the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the Optional Protocol to the CCPR; the Convention Against Torture; Convention on the Protection on the Non-Applicability of the Statutes of Limitation in respect of War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity. Was involved in the compilation of Manual for Foreign Service Officers known as 'Blue Book' (1989).

Articles written in Ministry of Foreign Affairs Newletter: 'The Passport as an Instrument of Foreign Policy: The Case of the Ghanaian Passport in South Africa';

'The Effect of Unification on Ghana's Treaty Relations with a Reunited Germany'

Research and other interest/hobbies include: Human Rights, Strategic Diplomacy Issues, History of Ghana and African Affairs, Ghana's State Practice in International Law and International Relations; speechwriting; reading; music; table tennis and football (soccer).

Speaks and write English and a few Ghanaian languages fluently; has working knowledge of Portuguese and French.

EUROPE BUREAU

The Europe Bureau controls the second largest number of Ghana's Missions overseas, i.e.,
1. London
2. Paris
3. Rome
4. Copenhagen
5. Geneva
6. Brussels/European Union
7. Moscow
8. Belgrade
9. Prague
10. Berlin (with an office in Bonn)
11. Berne
12. Madrid

The Bureau generally overseas Ghana's interests in Europe and assists in the implementation of the country's foreign policy in the region. It is important to note however that, Ghana's foreign policy shifts in response to changes in the domestic and international environments.
For instance, in the First Republic, Ghana's Foreign Policy was more stringent. The country had emerged from colonialism and its first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, declared on the eve of independence that the liberation of Ghana was meaningless unless it was linked with the total liberation of the African continent. The concept of a free and proud Africa and the Pan-African ideal, therefore, dominated Ghana's Foreign Policy for close to nine years. Ghana, thus, adopted an Anti-Western stance in its foreign relations and remained neutral and Non-Aligned during the global cold war rivalry.

Under the current administration, the signals are that Economic Diplomacy is the country's main foreign policy objective. The end of the cold war and the resulting elimination of conflicting political ideologies between East and West have influenced Ghana's Foreign Policy and led to the adoption of a Pro-Western approach to our foreign relations.

The Bureau's activities have been shaped by these developments. Hence, through the country's Diplomatic Missions the Europe Bureau has been able to pursue the policy of Economic Diplomacy by endeavouring to maintain and strengthen relations with European countries, particularly those countries that have expressed interest in investing in Ghana.

The Bureau has been active in following up on outstanding matters such as the signing, ratification and effective implementation of bilateral agreements and decisions between Ghana and any European country or the European Union.

Currently, the Bureau continues to liaise with various MDAs to ensure that the following pending Agreements are considered and eventually adopted, to deepen Ghana's relations with the countries involved:

The Bureau has been active in the negotiations leading to the:
n Draft Agreement on Trade, Economic and Double Taxation submitted by the Romanian authorities.
n Agreement on Partial Abolition of Visa and Service Passports between Ghana and the Czech Republic.
n Investment Protection Agreement and Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement between Ghana and Czech Republic.
n Ghana-Spain Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement.

Ghana's relations with Europe and the European Union are maintained and pursued largely through the Bureau's activities, in collaboration with the various diplomatic Missions in the region. Furthermore, the formation of appropriate policies towards the continent and its member countries is made possible by the Bureau, through its ability to keep the Government informed of developments in the various European countries where Ghana has some form of diplomatic representation.