President Barack Obama of the US has invited four African leaders to join the G8 leaders' summit at Camp David later this month for a session on food security, the White House said.
Those invited to participate are Benin's President Yayi Boni, Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, Ghana's President John Mills and Tanzania's President Jakaya Kikwete, White House spokesman, Jay Carney, said in a statement.
They will join Obama and the leaders of France, Britain, Italy, Germany, Canada, Japan and Russia at the presidential retreat in rural Maryland.
They are to discuss food security concerns in Africa on May 19, the second day of the G8 meeting.
The United Nations' food price index, which measures monthly price changes for cereals, oilseeds, dairy, meat and sugar, fell slightly in April but remains relatively high, with soybean and rice prices poised to increase.