G-8 Summit on Africa ends

Accra, July 8, GNA - "President John Agyekum Kufuor and Colleague African Leaders from Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zambia and Algeria on Friday engaged members of the world's most industrialized countries at the just ended G-8 Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland.

"President Kufuor and his colleagues branded as the 'Africa Group of Eight' had yet another opportunity to present the Africa case on debt relief, good governance, increased development inflows, global trade, peace and security and the likes.

"Information available from the summit grounds courtesy Presidential Spokesperson, Kwabena Agyepong, who is a member of Ghana's delegation, described the African session as fruitful," according to a statement from the Office of the Press Secretary to the President.

"G-8 leaders after the "African Group of Eight" encounter reiterated their position to relieve the debt burden of fourteen countries in Africa. They also reaffirmed earlier undertaking to write off debts of nine African countries at a later date.

"On the issue of poverty reduction in Africa, which is a principal feature in Prime Minister Blair's Commission for Africa, the World Leaders agreed on a 50 billion-dollar aid package for developing countries. Twenty-five billion dollars of the amount is earmarked for Africa aimed at boosting the Continent's foreign aid.

"Other notable developments from the summit are the World Leaders' renewed commitment to provide extra resources for Africa's peacekeeping forces, enhance support to fight corruption and action to improve health and education across the continent among other issues.

"G8 members and African participants are unanimously hopeful this plan of Action for Africa will go a long way to mitigate the Continent of Poverty and Hunger," the statement quoted Kwabena Agyepong as saying. "President Kufuor and his entourage made up of the Foreign Affairs Minister Nana Akufo-Addo, Ambassador D.K. Osie, High Commissioner, Isaac Osei and Press Secretary Kwabena Agyepong had since returned to London," the statement said. 08 July 05