Meeting of African trade ministers delayed

It was decided to postpone the meeting of the African ministers of trade -- scheduled to be held in Algeria on September 6 - 10, 1999 -- until September 20 - 24 at the request of the Algerian government.

A press statement released today by the bureau of the Organization of African Unity in Cairo made the announcement, but it did not mention the reason for the postponement.

The meeting aims at coordinating the stances of the African states before beginning the new negotiations of the World Trade Organization in November, especially as these negotiations will discuss the issue of agriculture, which is considered the most important export of the African continent.