The Daily Graphic

"Write off 70 billion dollar debt - Clinton" is one of the front page stories in the Graphic. The story has it that the US President William Jefferson Clinton is urging the international community to adopt a comprehensive, broader and deeper approach to debt relief for heavily indebted and poorest countries. He is reported to have asserted that if the approach is adopted and implemented by creditor nations, it would result in writing off an additional 70 billion dollar debt of developing countries most of them in Africa. Clinton made this declaration at the opening of the first US- Africa Ministerial Conference in Washington on Tuesday. He also noted that the request for debt relief is to ensure that no country committed to fundamental reform, is left with a debt burden. The three-day conference is being attended by 46 African countries. The conference reputed to be the largest hosted by the United States, is intended to build upon partnerships between the US and African nations by identifying shared interests in the areas of trade, investment, economic reform, political and social development. Ghana is being represented by Mr. James Victor Gbeho, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Edward Salai, Minister of Roads and Transport and Dr. John Abu, Minister of Trade and Industry. High on the agenda of the conference are discussions on accelerating Africa's full integration into the global economy, foreign policy issues and obstacles faced by African nations seeking to improve their economic performance. GRi.