True partnership, key to African sustainable peace, development: Ethiopian PM

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, December 15, 2003

True partnership, key to African sustainable peace, development: Ethiopian PM

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African efforts to acquire sustainable peace and development not only depends on what the Africans have to do, but also require the full and effective cooperation of the international community on the basis of true partnership, said Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said Monday.

While addressing the opening ceremony of the Second Ministerial Conference of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum kicking off Monday morning, Meles said important progress has been made both in the political and economic areas in Africa since the first 2000Beijing ministerial conference of the forum.

Citing the establishment of the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa's Development as examples, the prime minister said these are expressions of Africa's collective commitment to put the continent on the course of sustainable peace and development.

"This is an objective that the China-Africa Cooperation Forum is well placed to achieve," he said.

He thanked China for having fulfilled its commitment in making significant debt cancellation for 31 African countries.

"This exemplary endeavor of the Chinese government to help ease the debt problem of African countries is indeed a true expression of solidarity and commitment to the development of Africa," he continued.

He held that the involvement of the business sector is one of the most important pillars on which the realization of the forum's objectives rest.

The latest official statistics indicate that trade between China and Africa had increased to 12.39 billion US dollars in 2002from 10.6 billion US dollars in 2000, and the figure for the first nine months of 2003 is 13.39 billion US dollars, surpassing that of the whole 2002.

Chinese investors have already established 602 businesses in 49African countries, covering such areas as trade, industry, and agriculture. Africans, including those from South Africa and Uganda, have also had their investment in China.

However, given the magnitude of our potential for cooperation, he said, a lot remains to be done in the coming years. "We have every reason to be optimistic that with a little more effort by all of us, the aims and objectives that we have set for this forum will be met," he said.

Highlighted by the action-oriented spirit, the meeting, which gathered China and 44 African countries, is the first ministerial conference of the forum to be held on the African continent, and will be a significant event in the Sino-African relationship.

Besides Meles, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and a dozen of other African heads of state or government attended the opening ceremony, and also present are Chinese and African foreign ministers and ministers in charge of the international economic cooperation, and representatives of some international and regional organizations as well.

The main agenda of this conference is to review the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and the Program for China-Africa Cooperation in Economic and Social Development, two documents adopted during the first ministerial meeting of the forum held in Beijing in 2000.

It is also highlighted in the agenda to explore new initiatives and measures on the way toward Sino-African cooperation in such areas of priority as human resources development, agriculture, infrastructure development, investment and trade.

During the two-day conference, the participants will discuss and adopt the Addis Ababa Action of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (2004-2006) and among others, will make final decision on the date and venue of the third ministerial conference.

Under the theme of "Friendship, Cooperation and Development" and in an action-oriented spirit, the participants will hold extensive and in-depth discussion and exchanges on how to further promote the establishment of a new, stable and long-term China-Africa partnership of equality and mutual benefit and all-around cooperation.

The first ministerial conference of the forum was held in Beijing, capital of China, from Oct. 10 to 12, 2000.

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China-Africa cooperation forum ministerial meeting kicks off in Addis Ababa

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