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Africa, EU set to forge new relationship

CAIRO: African and European leaders meet on Monday to discuss how the two continents can work together to bolster democracy, prevent wars and promote prosperity.

They are aware that Africa's ambitions to rise above its impoverished past and join the global economy are threatened by ruinous debt, depressed commodity prices and, above all, by the armed conflicts and instability racking many of its 52 nations.

A simmering row between Britain and Zimbabwe over President Robert Mugabe's handling of anti-government protests and verbal attacks on his country's former colonial power will test Africa's nascent dialogue with the 15-member European Union.

"I have come for the conference. That is what my mind is set on and nothing else," the embattled Mugabe told Reuters after arriving at his Cairo hotel on Sunday night.

Mugabe, attending the first Africa-Europe summit despite tension at home and an uncertain reception from EU leaders, did not acknowledge British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, who happened to be standing in the hotel lobby when he arrived.

"It is very important that the people of Zimbabwe should have the right to peaceful demonstration and that they are entitled to be protected when they carry out that right by the forces of law and order," Cook told reporters earlier.

He was referring to Saturday's clashes in Harare when pro-Mugabe war veterans attacked peaceful demonstrators opposed to the president and riot police fired teargas.

COMMUNIQUE, ACTION PLAN AGREED

Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Gama, speaking after ministers from both sides held a preparatory meeting on Sunday, acknowledged that Africa and the EU had different priorities.

But he said the EU was satisfied that a draft communique agreed by the foreign minister balanced Africa's concerns about trade, debt and poverty with Europe's emphasis on good governance, conflict prevention, human rights and democracy.

"It was hard work but it has been fruitful," Gama said. "All of the issues were solved by consensus. We have common texts on both the summit declaration and the plan of action."

The meeting is being held under the aegis of the EU and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).

Gama said the two sides had agreed in principle to create a permanent committee of officials, hold ministerial meetings as needed and convene another summit in 2003, probably in Greece.

Some of the 67 leaders expected to attend the two-day summit may use the occasion to hold side-meetings.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak plans to meet Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and Sudanese President Hassan Omar al-Bashir for talks on an Egyptian-Libyan initiative to end a 17-year-old civil war in Sudan that has caused more than 1.5 million deaths.

It was not immediately clear if Mubarak would be able to bring together Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Moroccan King Mohammed VI, whose countries have long been at odds over the disputed Western Sahara.

Mubarak may be satisfied if Bouteflika, current chairman of the OAU, and the Moroccan king both attend the summit. Rabat had indicated it would boycott the meeting before the self-styled Saharan Arab Democratic republic made clear it would stay away.-Reuters