Leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) opened a summit on Friday where they are to agree a common industrial policy for the region. Ten heads of state have converged on Cape Verde's resort island of Sal for the gathering, where they will play host Saturday to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Absent were the leaders of Benin, Niger, Gambia, Togo and Guinea. 'It is the first time that Cape Verde hosts on its soil a summit of ECOWAS heads of state,' noted President Pedro Pires, whose Portuguese-speaking archipelago is one of the most stable West African states. Lula is passing through Cape Verde as part of an African tour that will also take him to Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa, where Brazil on Friday suffered a quarter-final elimination from the World Cup. In a statement on June 30, ECOWAS said the summit will adopt a 'sustainable industrial development' policy and action that is intended to 'significantly' improve regional living standards by 2030. 