African - European meeting to look into Africa's debt shortly

Foreign Affairs Minister Mohamed Benaissa told the press sunday heads of African and European diplomacy agreed to convene shortly in a bid to settle the African debt problem and swap part of it to investments.

Benaissa who attended the works of the foreign ministers of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in Cairo had a series of contacts with peers from several African and European countries attending the Africa - Europe Summit held under the aegis of the OAU and the European Union.

He also announced the setting up of a specialized committee to probe and seek solutions to mining problems in African countries and a ministerial committee to tackle legal aspects to enable the continent retrieve cultural property spoliated under colonial rule.

Benaissa insisted on significant reduction of the Continent's foreign debt and service using innovating treatment to include medium-income countries. He said he favored the setting up of a world solidarity fund for poverty eradication, and called at the same time, for more resources inflow and direct foreign investments in Africa.

Benaissa said the summit would be successful in strengthening Euro - African relations with a partnership bridging gaps between the two continents and announced the second summit meeting for the year 2003 in Europe.