EU, African leaders try to tackle war, terrorism

EU, African leaders try to tackle war, terrorism

CAIRO (AFP): European and African leaders entered their last
day of unprecedented summit talks on Tuesday expecting to tackle
war, terrorism and human rights after Libya's Moammar Qaddafi
stunned them with an anti-Western tirade.

With only a day ahead of them, presidents, prime ministers and
kings were also to debate a dozen other tough problems, such as
economic development and poverty elimination in Africa, the
world's poorest continent.

In the first summit aimed at forging a "new strategic
partnership" between European countries and their former
colonies, the 60-odd leaders will adopt a final declaration and a
plan of action for future ties.

Foreign ministers, in a pre-summit weekend meeting, had
drafted the declaration, finding formulas to overcome discord on
how to relieve Africa's US$350-billion debt, returning stolen
artifacts and removing landmines.

Further bilateral meetings were also expected on Tuesday,
including between Qaddafi and European leaders such as Gerhard
Schroeder, despite the Libyan leader's tirade during Monday's
opening session.

"Most likely Kadhafi will talk and the chancellor will
listen," in a scheduled 10-minute session, a German source said
on condition he not be named.

In the last speech on opening day, Qaddafi denounced
capitalism, accused Europeans of hypocrisy in their position on
African conflicts and urged them to expel the U.S. Navy from the
Mediterranean.

European Commission President Romano Prodi said he was
"strongly disappointed" with Qaddafi's speech after he had taken
what he called a bold step to meet personally with Qaddafi, long
branded the head of a terrorist state.

Prodi's spokesman Ricardo Levi said the private talks earlier
in the day between Qaddafi and Prodi as well as other European
leaders had been seen as a chance to assess Libya's "new ideas"
after it began to rebuild bridges with Europe.

The summit had opened with speeches calling for cooperation
and renewal in relations.

In his keynote speech to the 15 EU and 50-odd African leaders,
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said: "We do look forward not to
secure more aid, but rather to develop our mutual partnership and
cooperation program."

Africans, Mubarak said, have made "sustained efforts" --
including greater political and economic freedom -- to better
their lot in the past decade, and they expected Europeans to lend
a strong helping hand.

The summit's ultimate goal, in EU eyes, is for Africa to take
its rightful place in the emerging global economy -- if it can
slash poverty, and its debt -- with economic and democratic
reform.

"It is our profound wish that this most meaningful occasion
should represent a moment of renewal in the relations between our
two neighboring continents," said Prime Minister Antonio Guterres
of Portugal, which holds the EU presidency.

He said it was unacceptable and unsustainable that Africa has
been the "main victim" of unfair global relationships.

Some countries announced concrete moves on Monday to tackle
the debt problem.

France said that it would cancel the whole of the bilateral
debt owed it by the poorest countries, while Germany said it
would cancel $350 million in debt owed by nearly 30 countries
over the next three years.

Both expressed the hope that other creditor countries would
follow suit.