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Bolivia's Morales plans US visit for Clinton poverty conference
AFP
LA PAZ
Petroleumworld.com 05 30 06Bolivian President Evo Morales confirmed Monday that he will travel to the United States in September, following an invite from former US president Bill Clinton to attend an anti-poverty conference.
The Clinton Global Initiative will meet September 20-22 in New York seeking funds from private and government institutions for innovative investments aimed at eradicating world poverty.
"I am very honored by the invitation and very honored as well to qualify as one of the leaders of the world," Morales said.
"This is worldwide recognition of our movement's struggle for the living," he said after a military ceremony.
Morales governs South America's poorest country, which is rich in mineral reserves, especially natural gas. He recently gave foreign petroleum companies 180 days to renegotiate their contracts with Bolivia's state-owned oil company so as to conform to Bolivia's Constitution, sending shock waves through the gas and oil markets.
Morales will take advantage of the trip "to explain why we have made the changes that we have made, both social and structural. The participation of all social groups is important, from the countryside and the city, not only government institutions," he said.
Some 70 countries will be represented by officials, including a dozen heads of state and of government at the conference.
AFP 29 2222 GMT 05 06
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