South America-Africa Summit this weekend
This weekend 54 heads of state and other officials from African nations and 12 from South American nations will arrive in Margarita, Venezuela for the second South America–Africa Summit, headed by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and co-chaired by Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa. The summit is meant to bolster to cooperation and economic ties between the two regions in a variety of areas, including education, energy, communication and the global economic crisis. Cultural festivities began this week in Caracas to prepare for the upcoming summit. Venezuelan Deputy Foreign Minister for Africa, Reinaldo Bolivar, told IPS that Africa "has linked up as a region and has sought cooperation collectively, mostly with the European Union, but in recent years also with China, India, Russia, Iran and, of course, South America, where it is finding open doors because of the new progressive governments." Bolivar also stressed that this is the first “South–South” summit in the world. Among others, participants will include Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. The first summit was held in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, in 2006, and the resulting declaration called for reform at the United Nations, commitments to educate men and teenage boys about the rights of women and girls, commitments by South American nations to invest in Africa and assist in agricultural development and the alleviation of hunger.