COMESA ministers highly praise China-Africa cooperation forum fruits

The just-concluded Forum on China- Africa Cooperation in Beijing was an inspiring and successful event with concrete results, ministers attending the 11th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) summit told Xinhua on Thursday in Djibouti.

The forum was a "very fruitful" and "inspiring" experience that everyone wanted to take advantage of to learn something from China 's economic growth, Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf of the host country of Djibouti told Xinhua in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the 11th Summit of the COMESA Authority of Heads of State and Government held here from Wednesday to Thursday.

He said the forum was "very well-organized," and the timing " critical and important."

"Globally, developing countries should stick together and deploy more efforts for a better economy, so as to actively participate in globalization instead of being swept away," said Youssouf.

The forum adopted a very important Plan of Action which drew a road map for cooperation between China and Africa, and China's help to Africa without political conditions was "sincere and transparent," he said.

The next China-Africa cooperation forum is scheduled to be held in Egypt. "It will definitely be a profit to both the African people and the Chinese people," said Youssouf.

After the COMESA summit concluded on Thursday, Zambian Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Kenneth Konga told Xinhua that he considered the forum very "successful" and "positive" with concrete results.

"It is the biggest meeting of its kind," for which the Chinese government and Chinese people extended "great hospitality" to African countries and African people to attend, said Konga.

"Chinese government has increased the number of products that can be imported from Zambia, which gives countries like Zambia an opportunity to sell their products to china," Konga said. "And that is a very positive move we care about."

"The cancellation of debts by the Chinese government to least- developed countries helped the economies of the African countries to be strong and more resilient," added Konga.

"We are looking forward to participate in the next forum and address the problems facing African countries in a brotherly way," he said.

The two-day COMESA summit discussed a number of issues including the expansion of the Free Trade Area, the setting-up of Customs Union, the COMESA fund, and the free movement of persons, labor and services, under the theme of "deepening regional integration through customs union."

With a population of over 374 million and a total GDP of 203 billion U.S.dollars, COMESA has now become one of the largest African economic bloc with 20 member states.

Source: Xinhua