ADDIS ABABA, Feb 2 (NNN-ENA) — Ethiopian Foreign Affairs Minister Seyoum Mesfin held talks here Monday with the Chairman of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) project, Nicholas Negroponte, on ways to provide 50,000 laptops to Ethiopian children.

The two discussed ways of distributing laptop computers among children between the ages of eight and 12 years and Seyoum said the Ethiopian government would provide all the necessary support towards ensuring the success of the project.

The minister said the distribution of the laptops would contribute to ongoing efforts of the government to ensure the quality of education.

Negroponte said distribution of 50,000 laptops in the country was part of the first round of the project.

The cost of the stated number of laptops would be covered by the World Bank and other donor organizations, he said.

The OLPC is a new, non-profit association dedicated to research to develop a low-cost, connected laptop. — NNN-ENA

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