/ 18 February 2000

ITALY CONSIDERS ALLEVIATING AFRICAN DEBT

ITALIAN Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini said in Cairo Wednesday that the first Euro-African summit will be a chance for his country to look into alleviating the debts of Africa’s poorest countries. However, “executive decisions (on debt cancellation) are not on the agenda of the summit,” scheduled for April 3-4 in Cairo, he said. Dini said his country has already cancelled “several billions of dollars” in debts. A meeting will be held in Pretoria on February 21 to draw up projects to be discussed at the Euro-African summit.