Madam, - Last weekend's meeting of European and African leaders was a missed opportunity to address the crushing poverty of Africa.
There were no meaningful discussions about the scourge of corruption or the continuing humanitarian disasters in Darfur, Congo or Somalia. And although much of the coverage of the meeting was preoccupied with the presence of Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, there was nothing done to address the rapid descent of the country he leads.
Instead, the conference focused on securing Europe's trade deals with Africa.
The main outcome of the weekend was a declaration signed by the leaders of Africa vowing to uphold democracy and the rule of law. But this will not bring peacekeepers to Darfur or allow displaced Somalis to return home.
In my view, this summit took place because of the threat China poses to Europe's place as Africa's largest trading partner, not from any willingness to address the problems stemming from Africa's poverty. - Yours, etc,
JOHN O'SHEA, Goal, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.