British PM Holds Talks With Nigerian President

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, February 08, 2002

British PM Holds Talks With Nigerian President

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Visiting British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo Thursday began their talks in the capital Abuja on trade, investment, recovery of looted funds, debt and regional affairs.

Blair arrived in Nigeria late Wednesday starting his four- country tour to Africa aimed at setting out his new vision of relations between the West and Africa.

The British prime minister told reporters on Wednesday that his visit to Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Sierra Leone is in pursuit of an African economic and political development plan known as the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

After bilateral talks with Obasanjo, Blair is due to address a joint sitting of the two houses of the Nigerian parliament to elaborate his views on relations between Africa and the Group of Eight wealthy nations, World Trade Organization and other world bodies.

The visit comes just ahead of a summit in Paris on Friday to be attended by leaders from 13 African countries on launching the NEPAD, spearheaded by the leaders of South Africa, Senegal, Nigeria and Algeria.

Blair said the NEPAD project presented the most exciting prospect for Africa for a generation, but dismissed claims that he could have met the African leaders in Paris on Friday where France is hosting a summit on aid to the continent.

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