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EU-Africa summit set for Cairo in April

BRUSSELS: The European Union said on Friday that a European Union-African summit would take place as planned after breakthroughs at talks in Morocco.

A spokesman for the Portuguese EU presidency told a news briefing the summit would take place in Cairo on April 3-4.

Egypt said on Thursday that Moroccan and Algerian leaders would attend, setting aside strains in their relationship and clearing away what had been an obstacle to the summit.

After conclusive talks with Morocco's King Mohammed and two European Union envoys - Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Gama and the EU's top foreign policy representative Javier Solana - Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa told reporters his country would immediately begin preparations for the meeting.

EU officials said the 15-nation bloc's foreign ministers would discuss the meeting in Brussels on Monday.-Reuters