African leaders to attend G-8 summit

INDONESIA: South African President Thabo Mbeki will attend the Group of Eight (G-8) summit on Thursday on Sea Island, Georgia, according to the South African Embassy in Jakarta.

In a statement sent to The Jakarta Post on Wednesday, the embassy said that U.S. President George W. Bush, the current chair of the wealthy grouping, had invited Mbeki together with presidents Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria, John Kufour of Ghana, Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal and Yoweri Museveni to participate in the summit.

"The summit discussions with African leaders are expected to focus on NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa's Development), HIV/AIDS, communicable diseases, peace and security as well as the private sector-led growth and poverty alleviation," the statement said. -- JP