Leading ministers from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and European Union (EU) are set to meet in Maputo, Mozambique today, to among others develop measures to fight poverty in the famine-stricken region.

Foreign affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who is currently attending the 8th Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Cambodia with President Thabo Mbeki, will tomorrow represent the country at the two-day SADC/EU gathering.

The meeting is set to reverse the destructive impact of famine that continues to threaten the lives of millions of citizens in the region.

It is estimated that more than 14 million people in Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe are facing starvation, with death cases especially amongst the most vulnerable - women and children - already making headlines.

The high-profile meeting, which ends on Friday, follows hot on the heels of a two-day SADC consultative conference in Botswana last month, on the institutional reform for poverty reduction through regional integration.

A majority of SADC members, United Nations, Non-Governmental Organisations, private and civil sector, and international co-operating partners from Africa, the Caribbean, America, Asia and Europe, attended the meeting.

The delegates however acknowledged the direct links between economic growth, gender equality and poverty reduction, with the summit agreeing to the development of informal sector - small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs).

Amongst the many summit findings and recommendations was the need to enhance the capacity of agricultural institutions at all levels, particularly at grassroots levels.

This includes a regional poverty reduction strategic programme that would strengthen linkages between market-driven research and farmers as well as promote amongst others, indigenous forest production to address poverty.

Addressing the gathering host President Festus Mogae said poverty eradication and the general upliftment of living standards of the people should be the concern of all development stakeholders.

Meanwhile, the SADC/EU ministerial meeting will also adopt the review of the Berlin initiative, which calls for close co-operation between the two regional powerful blocks on wide ranging issues.

The two have committed themselves to promoting and facilitating domestic and foreign investment in the productive sector, particularly in the processing and manufacturing industries in SADC to enhance the region's economic development - BuaNews.