ECONOMIC MINISTERS FROM 14 AFRICAN COUNTRIES ARE CONTINUING THEIR TALKS IN DAKAR, SENEGAL, ON A DRAFT TREATY FOR A WEST AFRICAN COMMON MARKET. THE MEETING OF THE INTERIM COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF THE WEST AFRICAN COMMUNITY -- AS IT'S CALLED -- WAS OFFICIALLY OPENED ON TUESDAY BY PRESIDENT LEOPOLD SENGHOR OF SENEGAL.

THE INTERIM COUNCIL WAS SET UP IN ACCRA, GHANA, LAST MAY BY A WEST AFRICAN SUB-REGIONAL CONFERENCE CONVENED BY THE UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA (ECA) AND ATTENDED BY FRENCH AS WELL AS ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES. THE COUNTRIES REPRESENTED AT THE MEETING ARE: SENEGAL, MALI, MAURITANIA, GAMBIA, GUINEA, SIERRA LEONE, LIBERIA, IVORY COAST, UPPER VOLTA, DAHOMEY, TOGO, NIGERIA, GHANA AND NIGER.

OPENING THE MEETING ON TUESDAY, PRESIDENT SENGHOR SAID THAT IT WAS TIME TO SEE THE ENGLISH AND FRENCH LANGUAGES AS TREASURES SUPPLEMENTING EACH OTHER AND NOT AS COMBAT WEAPONS, AND THAT IT WAS TIME TO OVERCOME THE SPIRIT OF FRANCO-ENGLISH RIVALRY. HE SPOKE OF THE ORGANISATION OF A GENUINE COMMON MARKET DURING WHICH TRADE RELATIONS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY WOULD BE PROGRESSIVELY MADE FREER WHOLE RESPECTING EXISTING AGREEMENTS.

PRESIDENT SENGHOR WENT ON: "IF WE WISH TO SUCCEED, IT IS NECESSARY THAT THE ??? ???RE COMMUNITY SHOULD BE HEADED BY A POLITICAL AUTHORITY, WHILE BEING HINGED ON THE ORGANISATION OF AFRICAN UNITY". THE MINISTER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY OF SENEGAL, M. DANIEL CABOU, LATER GAVE A RECEPTION FOR DELEGATES AT THE FOREIGN MINISTRY IN DAKAR.