African finance ministers are expected to meet in Lusaka, the Zambian capital, next week for a high-level senior policy meeting to brainstorm on the global financial crisis which has affected many African economies.

The meeting, organized by the Bank of Zambia (BoZ) in collaboration with the Africa Economic Research Consortium (AERC), will take place on April 6-8.

In statement obtained by Xinhua from the BoZ here on Friday, the meeting will also be attended by central banks, capital markets authorities, financial institutions, stock exchanges and regional bodies from the sub-Saharan African continent.

The seminar, whose theme is "The global financial crisis and its implications for African economies", aims to provide insight into the impact of the crisis with a view of drawing up policy conclusions for the sustainable growth of African economies.

The global crisis has brought misery to African countries, especially those such as Zambia that is dependent on copper whose price has plummeted on the international market. Currently, mining firms in Zambia are cutting down on their productions and downsizing on their workforce.

(Xinhua News Agency April 4, 2009)