No matter how crucial it might seem, South-South cooperation is incapable of replacing North-South cooperation, John Ashe, Antigua and Barbuda ambassador to the United Nations and president of the G77 has said.

Ashe made the remarks Wednesday when he addressed a press briefing on the sidelines of the 12th session of the Intergovernmental Follow-up and Coordination Committee on Economic Cooperation among Developing Countries (IFCC-XII).

The meeting, which is bringing delegations from over 130 developing countries together to discuss issues affecting their economies, is taking place in Yamoussoukro, Cote d'Ivoire's political capital.

Addressing both local and foreign reporters, the G77 president expressed the will of the participating countries to strengthen south-south cooperation in important domains such as science, technology, commerce and agriculture.

In addition, the Antigua and Barbuda ambassador indicated that discussions during the first working meeting of the session had centered on the current global food and energy crisis, noting that "poor economies were the most affected by the two unprecedented crises."

"The food crisis is a crucial issue that is affecting most developing countries. We will try to examine the proposals, as well as those concerning the energy crisis because the increase in oil prices is a hindrance to the development of many underdeveloped nations," said the New York-based diplomat.

The official opening ceremony of the 12th IFCC session was held Tuesday in Yamoussoukro in the presence President Laurent Gbagbo of Cote d'Ivoire. In his inaugural speech, President Gbagbo called for the establishment of "an investment bank for the South and a food stabilization fund."

Blaming the current food crisis facing developing countries on the limitations of a skewed economic model dating back to the 19th century, President Gbagbo said that developing nations must resolve to do away with a culture of "dependence on industrialized nations".

"The current food crisis shows clearly... the limitations of certain economic orientations dating back to the 19th century. An economic model that has notably created a situation whereby developing nations depend on the industrialized ones to meet their needs," said the president, urging the G77 to implement decisions that had been made during previous meetings.

Meanwhile, Zakaria Fela, President Laurent Gbagbo's special advisor on international affairs, has described the organization of the G77+China meeting in Cote d'Ivoire as very beneficial to the West African nation.

According to Fela, who was speaking during a press briefing during the second day of the ongoing meeting, the fact that the country, which is still smarting from a six-year old political-military crisis, was a clear indication to every one that "the war is over".

"Cote d'Ivoire is one of the founding countries of the G77. For us, having this meeting here means that we are playing a leadership role," said Fela, arguing that the grouping had also sent a message of "solidarity and fraternity".

The current summit is expected to review the implementation of the platform for the development of the South as recommended as well as the operationalization of the Development and Humanitarian Assistance Fund for the South, according to reliable sources.

(Xinhua News Agency June 13, 2008)