EU, African leaders try to tackle war, terrorism<\/p>\n
CAIRO (AFP): European and African leaders entered their last
\nday of unprecedented summit talks on Tuesday expecting to tackle
\nwar, terrorism and human rights after Libya's Moammar Qaddafi
\nstunned them with an anti-Western tirade.<\/p>\n
With only a day ahead of them, presidents, prime ministers and
\nkings were also to debate a dozen other tough problems, such as
\neconomic development and poverty elimination in Africa, the
\nworld's poorest continent.<\/p>\n
In the first summit aimed at forging a \"new strategic
\npartnership\" between European countries and their former
\ncolonies, the 60-odd leaders will adopt a final declaration and a
\nplan of action for future ties.<\/p>\n
Foreign ministers, in a pre-summit weekend meeting, had
\ndrafted the declaration, finding formulas to overcome discord on
\nhow to relieve Africa's US$350-billion debt, returning stolen
\nartifacts and removing landmines.<\/p>\n
Further bilateral meetings were also expected on Tuesday,
\nincluding between Qaddafi and European leaders such as Gerhard
\nSchroeder, despite the Libyan leader's tirade during Monday's
\nopening session.<\/p>\n
\"Most likely Kadhafi will talk and the chancellor will
\nlisten,\" in a scheduled 10-minute session, a German source said
\non condition he not be named.<\/p>\n
In the last speech on opening day, Qaddafi denounced
\ncapitalism, accused Europeans of hypocrisy in their position on
\nAfrican conflicts and urged them to expel the U.S. Navy from the
\nMediterranean.<\/p>\n
European Commission President Romano Prodi said he was
\n\"strongly disappointed\" with Qaddafi's speech after he had taken
\nwhat he called a bold step to meet personally with Qaddafi, long
\nbranded the head of a terrorist state.<\/p>\n
Prodi's spokesman Ricardo Levi said the private talks earlier
\nin the day between Qaddafi and Prodi as well as other European
\nleaders had been seen as a chance to assess Libya's \"new ideas\"
\nafter it began to rebuild bridges with Europe.<\/p>\n
The summit had opened with speeches calling for cooperation
\nand renewal in relations.<\/p>\n
In his keynote speech to the 15 EU and 50-odd African leaders,
\nEgyptian President Hosni Mubarak said: \"We do look forward not to
\nsecure more aid, but rather to develop our mutual partnership and
\ncooperation program.\"<\/p>\n
Africans, Mubarak said, have made \"sustained efforts\" --
\nincluding greater political and economic freedom -- to better
\ntheir lot in the past decade, and they expected Europeans to lend
\na strong helping hand.<\/p>\n
The summit's ultimate goal, in EU eyes, is for Africa to take
\nits rightful place in the emerging global economy -- if it can
\nslash poverty, and its debt -- with economic and democratic
\nreform.<\/p>\n
\"It is our profound wish that this most meaningful occasion
\nshould represent a moment of renewal in the relations between our
\ntwo neighboring continents,\" said Prime Minister Antonio Guterres
\nof Portugal, which holds the EU presidency.<\/p>\n
He said it was unacceptable and unsustainable that Africa has
\nbeen the \"main victim\" of unfair global relationships.<\/p>\n
Some countries announced concrete moves on Monday to tackle
\nthe debt problem.<\/p>\n
France said that it would cancel the whole of the bilateral
\ndebt owed it by the poorest countries, while Germany said it
\nwould cancel $350 million in debt owed by nearly 30 countries
\nover the next three years.<\/p>\n
Both expressed the hope that other creditor countries would
\nfollow suit.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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