Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo expressed frustration Thursday over the lack of concrete action by the Group of Eight major nations to cancel the debts of developing countries.
"We are satisfied with the words that are coming from them (the G8 leaders)," Obasanjo told a news conference in Tokyo after the first-ever meeting between the G8 leaders and leaders from developing countries. "But . . . what we want to make sure happens is that those words are matched by action."
Obasanjo was speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 nations, a U.N. lobbying group of 133 nations that he currently heads. Apart from Obasanjo, South African President Thabo Mbeki, Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai and Algerian President Abdelaziz Boutef met with the G8 leaders and their proxies.