Jonathan Departs For France This Sunday

PHOTO: PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN AFTER HIS RULING PARTY MEETING IN ABUJA RECENTLY.

San Francisco, May 29, (THEWILL) Nigerian President and Chairman of the Economic Council of West African States, ECOWAS, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan will leave for France on Sunday to enable him participate in the 25th Africa-France Summit, which begins on Monday, May 31, 2010 and ends on Tuesday, June 01, 2010, in the Southern French city of Riviera, Nice.

A News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, report said Jonathan is attending the Summit on the invitation of President Nicolas Sarkozy in his capacity as Chairman of ECOWAS.

The agency also said some Nigerian Governors including Benue State Governor, Mr. Gabriel Suswan and his Enugu State counterpart were among the advance government delegation that arrived in Riviera, Nice on Saturday.

The Summit which holds at the Nice Acropolis Convention Centre was convened by French President Sarkozy to reshape France’s relations with Africa, hoping to put to an end to its often criticized murky dealings with its former colonies.

THEWILL gathered that issues like climate change, global warming, poverty, aids and Africa’s political and economic challenges amongst others, will be discussed at the summit.

THEWILL checks also revealed that Sarkozy will host another summit of West African presidents on July 13, 2010, where he is expected to deliver a keynote address on Africa-France future relations.