Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa left Dar es Salaam Saturday for Shanghai, China, to attend a three-day international conference on poverty reduction jointly organized by the World Bank and the Chinese government.

The conference from May 25 to 27 is to give a chance to leaders and other delegates from developing countries to exchange views and experiences on reducing poverty in their respective countries.

Apart from Mkapa, other leaders from developing countries invited to the Shanghai meeting include President Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva of Brazil, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Prime Minister Khaleda Zia of Bangladesh.

According to the World Bank, the leaders were invited to the meeting in appreciation of their dedication to the war against poverty.

Tanzania is among the most underdeveloped countries announced by the United Nations.

After the Shanghai meeting, Mkapa is to fly to Beijing for a six-day visit during which he will discuss with the Chinese leadership bilateral ties and other issue of common concern.

(Xinhua News Agency May 23, 2004)