Chirac, African leaders hold press conference
Regional, Politics, 2/9/2002

Chirac opened at the Elysee Palace Friday the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) summit with participation of President Hosni Mubarak and 12 Eastern, Western and North African heads of state and government.

The African countries hope Friday's summit would result in France's support for passing NEPAD before the G-8 summit to be held in Canada next June.

Elysee Palace sources said that a closed session started with a speech by Chirac in which he dwelt on the African partnership and France's position towards it.

Michel Camdissus, representative of President Chirac in the meetings on partnership with Africa, then addressed the session.

The sources said that presidents of the four African countries founders of NEPAD as well as President Mubarak forwarded their ideas in separate speeches in their capacity as members of the steering committee in the partnership file.

Senegal's Abdoulaye Wade spoke on the infrastructure, environment, technology transfer and energy file, Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo on the economic management and capital development file, South Africa's Thabo Mbeki on the political management file and Algeria's Abdeleziz Bouteflika tackled the human resources development file.

At a press conference Chirac held along with the African leaders attending the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) that opened earlier on Friday, Chirac said it was of vital importance to cooperate on new bases, with each party respecting the other.

At the press conference, attended by President Hosni Mubarak, Chirac said it was important at this summit to make sure that there was no misunderstanding or ambiguity engulfing cooperation for development in Africa.

At the press conference Chirac paid tribute to the architects of the NEPAD including President Mubarak, president Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria and President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal.

The Organization of African Unity has contributed to finalizing the arrangements for the conference, he said.

The NEPAD summit showed a clear desire on the part of the African leaders to adopt a genuine African policy for development. It was also clear African leaders needed the help and support of the rich countries, he said.

For the African leaders this initiative is of great political, ethical and moral value, he said. The NEPAD needs a push to be successful, he said.

We met here to prepare and study needs by the African countries which will be presented to the G-8 at the coming summit in Canada. Today's meeting was the starting point for the Partnership not its end line, he said.

We must present to the G-8 leaders clear and basic points of the African countries need and requirements, he said.

French President Jacques Chirac said he gave "very important pieces of advice" to his African partners for internationally developing and financing the partnership.

The governments of developed countries should realise that we cannot wait any longer to devise a quick plan for development in Africa, Chirac said, noting that Africa was now ready to take its share of the plan through partnership with countries that possessed the means.

The group of eight will do all it can to help push the partnership forward, Chirac said.

Answering a query at the conference, President Hosni Mubarak said poverty is likely the worst form of terrorism, calling on rich countries to help achieve real development in African countries to help lift the burden of debts off their shoulders.

Previous Stories:
  UN Security Council outlines measures to address conflicts, poverty in Africa   (2/1/2002)
  Morocco insists on sub-regional, bilateral action to promote political stability, economic development in Africa   (1/30/2002)
  African countries to present concerns at summit   (1/17/2002)

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