MEXICO CITY, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) - The second South America-Africa Summit began on Saturday in Porlamar, Margarita Island, Venezuela. Some 20 leaders from African and South American countries will attend the summit to discuss issues concerning education, health, energy and global economic crisis.

    The first ASA Summit was held in Abuja, Nigeria in November 2006, which ended with the "Abuja Declaration" and "Plan of Action" aimed to strength cooperation between the two regions.

    The first ASA Summit was held with the attendance of the countries forming the African Union (AU) and the Union of South American Nations (Unasur).

    The Leaders agreed collaboration plans on energy, which is one of the developed industries in Africa, in areas like mining, fossil fuel and renewable energy.

    The Summit approved a plan to establish a South America-African Bank to finance development in both regions.

    It also created eight work groups and a tracking committee formed by AU and the Unasur.

    The second ASA Summit will discuss the topics of education, health, energy and global economic crisis.

    The Summit is aimed to strength the ties between both regions, to consolidate strategies to boost the capacities of both regions and to find solutions facing the world economic crisis.

    The leaders will also discuss the projects of the University of the South, the Bank of the South, establishment of cooperation mechanisms on food, the creation of a joint investment found, agreements for medicine production, and to strengthen agreements on construction, communications, technology and research sectors.

    African leaders present at the second ASA Summit include Libya's Muamar Kadafi, South Africa's Jacob Zuma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Joseph Kabila, Niger's Tanja Mamadou, and Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe.

    Unasur leaders who have confirmed their attendance are Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Ecuador's Rafael Correa, Bolivia's Evo Morales, Argentina's Crisitina Fernandez, Chile's Michelle Bachelet, Paraguay's Fernando Lugo and Uruguay's Tabare Vazquezand. Presidents of Colombia and Peru will not attend the Summit.

    Porlamar is the largest city on the Caribbean island of Margarita and a popular resort.