NAIROBI, November 28 – President Mwai Kibaki will leave the country on Friday afternoon for a three-day official visit to Doha, Qatar to attend the International Conference on Financing and Development.
The conference is expected to review the implementation of the consensus of an earlier convention held in Monterrey, Mexico in 2002, during which developed countries agreed to provide assistance and promote an enabling international environment for financing expansion in developing countries.
On their part, developing countries had pledged to take the primary responsibility for their development through mobilising domestic resources.
President Kibaki is expected to hold talks with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, after the conference.
At the Doha meeting, developing countries are expected to present their case for continued support from growing economies, particularly on achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
The conference comes against the backdrop of the global financial crunch that has slowed down the economies of several nations, a situation that has been aggravated by the high energy and food prices. This has called for urgent attention by the international community.
It would also discuss ways of financing development in emerging economies through investment, trade, aid and debt relief.
Other issues on the agenda include creating greater development partnership between the developed and developing countries, and official growth assistance to developing countries.
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