British Queen Elizabeth on November 8 hailed the good relationship between Ghana and her country while addressing the parliament in the African country, Ghana News Agency reported.

The Queen, who arrived in Accra on Sunday, is on a three-day state visit to Ghana.

The ties between the two counties, dating back two centuries, are founded not simply on personal connections and history, but on common interests, the Queen said.

She commended Ghana's role in the provision of troops to the ECOMOG Force in Sierra Leone, adding that Ghana has made "a valuable contribution to the international effort to bring peace to that unhappy land."

"That vital effort is but one example of Ghana's long and distinguished history in international peacekeeping and conflict resolution," she said.

The Queen noted that "Ghana is the fifth largest contributor to United Nations peacekeeping forces, and over the years, has served the interests of the international community in places as far apart as Bosnia, Cambodia and Lebanon."

In his welcoming speech, Justice Annan, speaker of the parliament, said the Queen's visit provides further evidence of the strengthening of the bonds of friendship and co-operation between Ghana and the United Kingdom.

"Today, we celebrate with the United Kingdom, a new bond of friendship, a new commitment to development, peace, and prosperity in the pursuit of our common agenda for the realization of true democracy," he said.

President Jerry Hohn Rawlings and visiting Queen held private talks Monday, Ghana News Agency also reported.