Africa-trade
   Egypt to press Africa's case for debt relief at IMF-WB meet in Prague

   CAIRO, Sept 20 (AFP) - Egypt, fresh from hosting a conference of African
trade ministers, said Wednesday it would press Africa's case for deeper
debt
relief at IMF-World Bank meetings opening this week in Prague.
   Yusef Boutros-Ghali, Egypt's economy and foreign trade minister, told
reporters he would present an African request for more "support in reducing
the percentage of debt or cancelling debts completely" at the meeting
opening
Thursday.
   Boutros-Ghali expressed what amounts to growing African calls for relief
from an estimated 350 billion dollars in debt after a reporter asked what
message he would take to Prague as current chairman of African trade
ministers.
   "What is (also) requested is more support in easing conditions attached
to
these debts from creditor countries to debtor countries," Boutros-Ghali
said,
apparently referring to calls for rescheduling debts.
   "All these messages are very important because they are coming from one
whole continent," the Egyptian minister said.
   He warned that developing countries had to be taken seriously because
they
have proven they have the power to scupper negotiations, as happened at the
World Trade Organization (WTO) conference in Seattle last December.
   During their meeting here, the trade ministers or their representatives
made a number of recommendations, including stressing the need to develop
inter-African trade as a "stepping stone" to enter the global trading
system.
   They also called on both regional and world organizations to work
closely
for the next WTO meeting scheduled for 2001.
   The ministers renewed their support for the position they took at their
last meeting in Algiers, prior to the Seattle meeting, saying the WTO
should
consider Africa's development needs when negotiating a new trade pact.
   Development needs include the call to reduce the burden of repaying
debts,
which Africans say divert money from building badly needed health,
education
and transportation infrastructure.
   They also welcomed US trade legislation designed to improve trade and
investment with Africa, but called for further studies to determine if it
could have negative consequences as well.
   African delegates faulted the US lawmakers for failing to consult with
Africans when drafting the legislation.
   The trade ministers also considered a Libyan proposal to start searching
for a common "mechanism" to bargain for higher export prices for their raw
materials when they hold their next annual meeting in Nigeria next year.
   lc/jh

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