African leaders in Malaysia to find way out of poverty
Afp, Kuala Lumpur
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and other African and Southeast Asian leaders are meeting in Malaysia this week to draw up a plan to fight poverty and bolster economic ties. Mugabe's presence at the gathering on the island resort of Langkawi is already causing some controversy. But Malaysia's foreign minister said the meeting, which will be hosted by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, was non-political. "I have heard that there have been some rumblings, but we must remember that the Langkawi dialogue is to discuss development," Foreign Minister Malaysia Syed Hamid Albar told the New Straits Times. "It's a non-political forum. We will not be discussing politics but socio-economic development. "Whichever country is in need of development and can learn from the experience of others, they should be encouraged to participate," he said. The gathering, dubbed the Langkawi International Dialogue, will bring together some 16 African and Southeast Asian leaders and more than 260 participants.
| 
