Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretian has met with South African President Thabo Mbeki ahead of talks with African leaders on how to bring Africa into the global economy. 

Mr. Chretian, speaking to reporters Sunday in Pretoria, said he was pleased with progress on putting the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) into effect. 

NEPAD outlines objectives of democracy and economic development with a view to achieving an annual growth rate of seven-percent on the African continent by 2015. 

Mr. Chretian, chairman of the G-8 Group of the seven most industrialized nations plus Russia, arrived for a three-day visit Saturday. The Canadian prime minister and President Mbeki are meeting with the presidents of Malawi, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania and Zambia Sunday. Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, who won re-election in disputed voting last month, was not invited. 

Reuters news agency reports Mr. Chretian, who has already visited Morocco, Algeria and Nigeria on his seven-nation tour, is due to visit Mozambique, Ethiopia and Senegal after South Africa. 

Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.

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