1.   Debtor countries cannot develop to their full potential while continuing to pay off such massive foreign debts.

2.   Foreign-exchange reserves have been maintained at their current low level only by failing to pay back some foreign debt.

3.   However, all these initiatives require heavy investment at a time when economies are squeezed by foreign debt repayments.

4.   The first column shows that the poorest regions tend to have the highest ratios of foreign debt to social product.

5.   The first priority is the servicing of foreign debts and other foreign contracts.

6.   The second column also shows that there is a wide variation between regions in the proportion of exports to foreign debt.

7.   To pay the interest on our foreign debt, we will have to import less.

8.   We are trying to drag them here soas to get direct investment and to get foreign capital without incurring foreign debt.