PARIS (Reuters) - Rich countries should aim to ease the global economic inequalities that act as a breeding ground for terrorism, French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said on Friday.
Speaking at a Franco-German discussion forum in Paris, the two left-leaning leaders said more initiatives like the 1999 agreement on debt relief for poor nations were needed, as well as a greater commitment to solving existing conflicts.
``You have a situation which is favorable to terrorism if you do not deal with these problems, such as the Middle East and inequalities of development,'' said Jospin, whose theme was sustainable economic development.
``Terror does not have poverty as its root cause,'' said Schroeder. ``But the idea of sustainability has got to include the people of the Third World, otherwise these people become radicalized.''
Schroeder noted that reforms under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative launched at the summit of G8 wealthy nations in Cologne two years ago had already resulted in billions of dollars' worth of debt relief.
``It's not enough, but it's something,'' he said.
The two leaders reiterated support for American action following the September 11 attacks on targets in New York and Washington, dismissing suggestions that Washington was not adequately communicating its plans to its allies.
``We are adequately informed for the decisions that we have to take,'' noted Jospin
PHOTO CAPTION:
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, left, smiles with French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin during a French-German forum on European society's demand for sustainable development, at the Paris City Hall Friday, Oct. 5, 2001. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
- Oct 05 6:44 PM ET