Special Report: President Hu attends outreach session of G8 Summit, visits Sweden

    HEILIGENDAMM, Germany, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The industrialized nations will continue to support good governance throughout the African continent, leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) said on Friday.

    "Good governance in Africa is vital to peace, stability, sustainable development and growth," the G8 said in a declaration issued after its leaders met with African nations in a outreach session.

    In supporting good governance, the G8 leaders urged African countries, under the African Peer Review Mechanism, to voluntarily take a critical look at their development challenges so as to identify solutions and appropriate action.

    Leaders from the world's major economic powers also said they strongly support efforts to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of public finance.

    "Competent, transparent, and accountable public financial management is a central element of a functioning democracy," they said.

    In addition, the G8 leaders pledged to support infrastructure development, regional integration and trade in Africa.

    The G8 leaders laid down a set of core principles on which their partnership and dialogue with Africa should be based, with promoting good governance listed in the first place.

    As to post-conflict and fragile states, where a third of the world's poor live, the rich countries' club said they will improvetheir response by bringing more timely and substantial assistance to those countries.

    The G8 leaders also aimed at fostering economic opportunity on the African continent.

    They also said they strongly encourage all donors to improve transparency of their aid and to follow internationally shared principles, the declaration said.