AU chief hopes for boost at G8

2008-05-30 08:37

Yokohama - African Union chief and Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said on Friday he hoped the upcoming G8 summit of rich nations would build on progress made at a key development forum here.

Japan, which would host the summit of the world's eight leading industrial powers in July, was on Friday wrapping up a separate gathering that drew leaders of 51 African states.

The forum, in the Japanese city of Yokohama, called for greater aid, trade and agricultural production for the continent.

"Africa made its case during this meeting, and in Japan we found partners who are ready to listen and to work with us," Kikwete told a news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.

"It is comforting that immediately after, there is going to be the G8 summit, and fortunately Japan is going to be the chair," Kikwete said, adding that he hoped "suggestions that came out of this meeting will also find their way to the G8 meeting".

Fukuda vowed to raise Africa at the G8 summit. "I'll make my utmost efforts to answer this expectation of the participants," he said.

Japan pledged at the summit in Yokohama to double its aid to Africa and to encourage businesses to double their investment in five years.

The declaration of the summit, known as the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), also called for urgent action to ramp up food production to alleviate a crisis of spiralling prices.

Japan had pledged to focus on global health, poverty and global warming at the summit of the G8, which grouped Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.

- AFP