In the meantime, though, the continuing discussions provide a platform for the more vital issue of closer cooperation between Nigeria and Algeria. Both countries have a growing number of economic and geopolitical reasons for closer links, and are already discussing building a road and laying a fiber optics telecommunications cable to connect their countries, Cairo's Arab Finance magazine reported Sept. 5.

The governments hope to capitalize on closer ties to expand their own economies and secure their positions as regional leaders. Nigeria for one is eager to tap into the

growing European demand for natural gas. Consumption in Western Europe alone is projected to double from 14 trillion cubic feet in 1999 to 28.4 trillion by 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration.

The Nigerian government is already taking pains to expand its natural gas capacity and exploit that market. Earlier this year Abuja initiated plans to build a third liquefied natural gas refinery and is seeking export possibilities, reports the Lagos publication Nigerian Oil and Gas Online Sept. 7.

Algeria is also seeking to advance its regional position by developing its economy. The government is entangled in a drawn-out civil war with Islamist guerrillas; becoming a transit state for Nigerian gas could provide a substantial source of revenue to shore up its economy and battle the threat. It could also cement Algeria's position in the New African Initiative backed by Nigeria and South Africa.

The plan calls for African governments to take responsibility for the continent's economic and political development with reliance on inter-regional cooperation and economic