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Chirac urges doubling of aid for African development
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-12-05 09:12

French President Jacques Chirac urged rich countries to double development aid, as African leaders warned tackling poverty was crucial to stem a growing tide of illegal immigration.

Chirac, keen to stress France was a "tireless" advocate of Africa, said at a two-day summit in Bamako that the continent was on the right track but progress was too slow.

Economic growth of five percent is "good but not enough to fight poverty", he said, as the talks with 25 African heads of state wrapped up.

French President Jacques Chirac (L), Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure (C) and the sprokesperson of the African youth Marie Tmoifo Nkom (R) give the closing news conference of the Franco-African summit, in Bamako.
French President Jacques Chirac (L), Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure (C) and the sprokesperson of the African youth Marie Tmoifo Nkom (R) give the closing news conference of the Franco-African summit, in Bamako.[AFP]
"We must, roughly, double and bring to 150 billion (dollars) a year public assistance for development," he told reporters.

With crunch trade talks looming in Hong Kong, France and African countries demanded in their final communique that Africa's most pressing development issues be taken into account.

The December 13-18 ministerial trade gathering will seek an accord enabling a global trade liberalisation pact to take effect next year.

But the four-year round has largely stalled over the degree to which rich countries offer financial support to their agriculture sectors. France is the biggest beneficiary of European Union farm subsidies.

At the same time, the Franco-African summit warned against some developments in world trade that are "too liberal", Chirac told reporters.
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