Bouteflika opens OAU summit
Algeria-Africa, Politics, 7/13/1999

Deliberations of the 35th summit of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) opened in Algiers on Monday with the participation of more than 40 heads or prime ministers of states.

Taking part in these deliberations are Arab League Secretary General Esmat Abdul Meguid, the human rights high commissioner for, the UNHCR and several governmental and non-governmental organizations.

In a speech he made before the participating heads of state, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced that his country is "good." He stressed that convening the 35th session of the OAU in Algiers is a political and moral backing for his initiative on "political reconciliation."

Bouteflika, who talked in Arabic, asked the heads and premiers of the African states not to doubt the capacities of the Algerian people to overcome their crisis.

Bouteflika added that, "Algeria is okay," and said, "We have to reconsider the political, economic and social conditions of our continent and to work through maintaining our solidarity to deter all risks impeding the African continent, mostly the civil wars, the question of the refugees, debts, droughts, desertification and poverty and AIDS." He indicated that two thirds of AIDS victims are in Africa.

The summit's agenda includes some 50 items, with special emphasis on inter-African conflicts, globalization, economic blocs, the question of the refugees and the question of debts from which the African countries suffer.

Previous Stories:
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  Mubarak: Africa needs sound plans for improvement   (7/12/1999)
  AL for coordination maintained with the OAU   (7/12/1999)
  OAU 35th session convenes today in Algiers   (7/12/1999)

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