Bouteflika warns against hunger and poverty in Africa

President Mubarak held a meeting with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who also doubles as the current Head of the Organization of African Unity (OAU).

The meeting, which took place in the Cairo International Conference Center in Nasr City, came before the inaugural session of the Africa-Europe Summit.

"Being aware of the dramas of hunger, poverty, disease and low price raw material, Africa can not be left under the mercy of market forces," Abdul Aziz Bouteflika said.

The foreign debt is also a vicious cycle that Africa has to run in, the OAU current President said and wished that a more comprehensive view be adopted in redressing the debt problem to assure sustainable development.

Africa knows that its development depends on itself and it is ready to reach this end," Bouteflika added.

However, Bouteflika also urged not to judge the continent according to its shortcomings and questioned how the African countries could move along with the dangerous disease, that could end the lives of populations.

AIDS, malaria, and other dangerous diseases are rampant in many countries in Africa.

Bouteflika at the beginning of his address, thanked President Mubarak for hosting the Summit and the European countries for taking this trend in a bid to extend some assistance as cooperation between both Africa and Europe would undoubtedly held them both.