Brussels, 02/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - "The European Union attaches the greatest importance to the third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries having as its main objective the eradication of poverty and the sustainable development of these countries, curbing the deterioration of their situation with respect to the rest of the world" declared Jean David Levitte, France's Permanent Representative to the United Nations on behalf of the European Union at the UNCTAD Trade and Development Committee meeting. The meeting, that took place last week, was dedicated to preparing for the United Nations conference, which will be organised in Brussels by the European Union. "The least developed countries are and will remain at the centre of European political priorities" added Mr Levitte. He recalled the importance the EU attaches to a global approach to development respecting the diversity of situations in developing strategies which should contribute to consolidating peace and preventing conflicts, reinforcing democracy, reducing inequality (particularly between men and women), gradually integrating the least developed countries into the world economy by reinforcing their production capacity and genuine improving the living standards of the populations of the countries concerned.
He added that the preparations for the conference should be underpinned by an analysis of the national and regional situation by the countries themselves, and that the least developed countries should be closely involved in the entire preparatory process and the actual running of the conference.