Mubarak sends message to G-8 summit on Africa

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak sent a message late Friday to the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in his capacity as the Chairman of the current G-8 summit, now meeting in Genoa. Mubarak called on the summiteers to back the "New African Initiative" designed to realize the continent's bid to resolve its problems.

Mubarak highlighted the responsibility of the international community and the G-8 industrial nations, in particular, to back this initiative.

According to Mubarak, the initiative calls for a unified African strategy toward political, security, economic, social and environmental issues.

He added that the initiative was proposed by Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, South Africa and Senegal.