REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 17 MEMBER COUNTRIES OF THE INTER-AFRICAN COFFEE ORGANISATION (I.A.C.O.) ATTENDED THE OPENING SESSION OF THE ORGANISATION'S THREE-DAY GENERAL MEETING IN PARIS YESTERDAY (WEDNESDAY).

THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE MEETING IS TO DEFINE THE ATTITUDE OF AFRICAN COFFEE-PRODUCING COUNTRIES REGARDING THE RENEWAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL COFFEE AGREEMENT, WHICH IS DUE TO EXPIRE NEXT YEAR. THE AGREEMENT WILL ALSO BE ONE OF THE MAIN TOPICS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COFFEE ORGANISATION (ICO), WHICH MEETS IN LONDON NEXT WEEK.

YESTERDAY'S SESSION WAS PRESIDED OVER BY CAMEROUN'S DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND EXTERNAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS, M. LOUIS BOULOU. M. BOULOU SAID THE MAJOR QUESTION FOR AFRICAN COUNTRIES WAS THE REVISION OF BASIC QUOTAS. HE STATED THAT THE 1962 AGREEMENT FIXING EXPORT QUOTAS WAS ESTABLISHED WITHOUT PRECISE STATISTICS AND WITHOUT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE EVOLUTION OF PRODUCTION IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES. M. BOLOU ADDED THAT AFRICAN COUNTRIES WOULD FAVOUR AN EXTENSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT WITH THE INCLUSION OF AMENDMENTS SUMMARISED IN A RESOLUTION PASSED AT AN ICO MEETING LAST SEPTEMBER. THE PARIS IACO MEETING IS EXAMINING POINTS RELATING TO THE FORTHCOMING INTERNATIONAL MEETING, INCLUDING SELECTIVITY, THE GRANTING OF SPECIAL PERMITS TO CERTAIN COUNTRIES AND ESTABLISHMENT OF A DIVERSIFICATION FUND. AFTER THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS, THE DELEGATES TACKLED ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTIONS ON THE AGENDA AND BUDGET PROPOSALS, WHICH THEY WILL VOTE ON LATER.