Africa Foreign Relations Industrialized Nations

French and African leaders head this week to the Atlantic Ocean resort town of La Baule for the 16th Franco-African Summit, expected to focus on African fears that they are being abandoned by a developed world preoccupied with developments in Eastern Europe. The thaw in the Cold War has also robbed many African leaders of their main trump card in world affairs--the ability to play off East against West to win additional aid.

French and African leaders head this week to the Atlantic Ocean resort town of La Baule for the 16th Franco-African Summit, expected to focus on African fears that they are being abandoned by a developed world preoccupied with developments in Eastern Europe. The thaw in the Cold War has also robbed many African leaders of their main trump card in world affairs--the ability to play off East against West to win additional aid.

Leaders of the United States and its major trading partners sought Monday to calm the world's jittery financial markets in the face of further signs that West Germany will raise interest rates this morning. West German Finance Minister Gerhard Stoltenberg told reporters that the small increase, to be formally announced today by the Bundesbank, West Germany's central bank, is "a very minor decision" designed to bring central bank rates in Germany "into line with the markets." U.S.

Leaders of the United States and its major trading partners sought Monday to calm the world's jittery financial markets in the face of further signs that West Germany will raise interest rates this morning. West German Finance Minister Gerhard Stoltenberg told reporters that the small increase, to be formally announced today by the Bundesbank, West Germany's central bank, is "a very minor decision" designed to bring central bank rates in Germany "into line with the markets." U.S.

Leaders of the world's seven largest industrial democracies signaled Sunday that they will be unable to agree on ways to speed up currently stalled talks aimed at reducing global farm subsidies, even though this has been billed as a key issue at their annual summit meeting here.

Leaders of the world's seven largest industrial democracies signaled Sunday that they will be unable to agree on ways to speed up currently stalled talks aimed at reducing global farm subsidies, even though this has been billed as a key issue at their annual summit meeting here.