Instead of "doing some sort of grand tour just once a term," President Obama's visit to Ghana July 10-11 is in conjunction with other world travel, demonstrating that Africa is an integral part of the world community, an administration official told reporters July 9, 2009.



"Broadly, the trip is intended to highlight a few themes," Michelle Gavin, senior advisor for African affairs on the National Security Council, told U.S. reporters during Obama's visit to Italy.



One of the visit's themes, Gavin said, is "just simply the nature of the administration's engagement with Africa by taking a slightly different approach, not necessarily doing sort of the grand tour just once a term, but integrating a stop in Ghana on this trip, as the President has gone out to conduct some other foreign policy business."



Gavin added, " We are trying to make a point about the fact that Africa is a part of the grand foreign policy vision; it's not some separate sphere that one engages in and then hops out and has no relationship to the rest of the foreign policy agenda."



Obama arrived in Ghana late on July 10, 2009. Gavin said his schedule would include meeting Ghana's President Mills, attending a July breakfast hosted by the government of Ghana, and visiting a hospital in Accra to discuss maternal and child health. President Obama was scheduled to deliver a speech to the Ghanaian Parliament, then tour the Cape Coast Castle before departing Ghana.



A full transcript of the background briefing is posted on the White House Website, linked below.