Italy Foreign Aid Third World

Breaking ranks with its wealthy peers, Italy pledged Friday to forgive $4 billion to $6 billion in debt owed by 62 impoverished countries over the next three years under easier terms than those set by other leading industrial democracies. The initiative, approved by Parliament without dissent, was meant to strengthen Italy's proposal at a summit next week for a similar write-off by its rich European neighbors, plus Japan, Canada and the United States.

Breaking ranks with its wealthy peers, Italy pledged Friday to forgive $4 billion to $6 billion in debt owed by 62 impoverished countries over the next three years under easier terms than those set by other leading industrial democracies. The initiative, approved by Parliament without dissent, was meant to strengthen Italy's proposal at a summit next week for a similar write-off by its rich European neighbors, plus Japan, Canada and the United States.