President of the Central African Republic Francois Bozize said Thursday that former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide would continue to stay in the African country.

Speaking on the national radio, Bozize said his country is one with hospitality and will not hastily ask Aristide to leave, reports from Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, said.

It is the first public speech Bozize has made on whether Aristide will leave or stay since the toppled president arrived inBangui on March 1 to seek asylum.

Bozize's remarks came on the same day when Jamaican Prime Minister Percival Patterson said that Aristide would visit Jamaicanext week from exile in the Central African Republic,

"Mr. Aristide has expressed a wish to return temporarily to theCaribbean with his wife and to be reunited with their two young children, who are currently in the United States," Patterson said in a statement issued in Jamaica's capital of Kingston.

However, Patterson denied Aristide will seek political asylum in his country.

Just two days ago, Alpha Oumar Konare, chairman of the African Union Commission, became the first foreign dignitary to visit Aristide since his arrival in Bangui.

Konare "came here to meet President Aristide, gather information and then report back to the African Union so that it can take a formal position on the presence of Aristide in Africa and, more specifically, in the Central African Republic," Deputy Foreign Minister Guy Moskit of the Central African Republic told reporters.

On Sunday, the African Union expressed concern over the currentcrisis in Haiti. It also gave approval for Aristide to seek asylumin Africa and expressed support for the country which offered shelter.

The 53-nation AU endorsed Aristide's claim on Monday that he had been removed by "unconstitutional" means and expressed concernthat this "set a dangerous precedent for a duly elected person."

Meanwhile, a South African delegation headed by Vice Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad met Aristide in Bangui on Wednesday, holding discussions on Aristide's long-term asylum plans in South Africa.

Aristide, who was forced to leave Haiti on Feb. 29 and is now in exile in Bangui, insisted on Monday that he was still Haiti's president.