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Nigeria to Strengthen Ties with France |
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Posted 11 June 2008 @ 11:28 pm EET |
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Kampala (IBTimes.com) - Nigerian Foreign Minister Ojo Maduekwe said Tuesday that President Umaru Yar'Adua's visit to France this week will re-energise bilateral relations.
"Certainly the visit will help to re-energise our relations with France, create a closer bond and some personal chemistry between president Yar'Adua and his French counterpart, not only for bilateral ties ... but for the sake of regional and international issues," Maduekwe told reporters.
The two-day visit -- which begins Wednesday -- will also provide an opportunity to review economic ties, secure French support for Yar'Adua's local development agenda and review consular and immigration issues, he said.
"Other matters on the agenda of the visit will be French involvement in Nigeria's oil and gas sector," Maduekwe said, adding "a number of agreements will be signed in the field of cultural cooperation, water resources, air transportation and agriculture."
Regional issues to be discussed include the crises in Zimbabwe and Darfur and the implementation of the International Court of Justice ruling on the Nigeria-Cameroon land and maritime border.
Global issues such as the expansion of the UN Security Council, climate change and soaring global food and energy prices are also on the agenda, Maduekwe said.
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This article is copyrighted by the IBTimes. |
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