Chinese, Seychelles FMs meet on relations, tsunami aid

Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and his Seychelles counterpart, Jeremie Bonnelame, discussed on Jan. 8 bilateral relations and China's aid to Seychelles in the wake of the Dec. 26 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Li said the Chinese government and people are greatly concerned about the impact on Seychelles by the tsunami, noting that President Hu Jintao has sent China's condolences to Seychelles and the Chinese government has provided aid.

China, also a country frequented by natural disasters, stands ready to share its experience in preventing disasters with developing countries, including Seychelles, and to do what it can to improve their capabilities of battling natural disasters, Li said.

Bonnelame, for his part, said Seychelles is grateful for the Chinese assistance and willing to strengthen cooperation with China in disaster prevention.

Seychelles supports China's proposal on establishing a regional surveillance, early warning and assessment system on major natural disasters at the forthcoming United Nations World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Tokyo, Japan, and is ready to be a co-sponsor of the proposal, Bonnelame said.

The two foreign ministers also exchanged views on political, economic and tourism cooperation between the two countries.

Source: Xinhua