BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a congratulatory message to Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the rotating president of the Council of the Arab League (AL), on the convening of the 31st AL Summit in Algiers.
He said that the Arab League, committed to seeking strength through unity in the Arab world, has been actively advancing peace and stability in the Middle East and making unremitting efforts to safeguard multilateralism and the common interests of developing countries.
The Chinese president expressed appreciation for Algeria’s long-term commitment to strengthening solidarity among Arab countries, its active role in safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries and its emphasis on collective cooperation between China and Arab countries.
China has forged an everlasting friendship with Algeria and other Arab countries, Xi said. In recent years, political mutual trust has been increasingly consolidated, Belt and Road cooperation has made tangible progress, and practical cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful results.
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Algeria have been supporting and helping each other in times of difficulty, setting a fine model for South-South Cooperation, he said.
China is willing to work with Arab countries to enhance mutual support and expand cooperation in a joint effort to build a China-Arab community with a shared future for the new era, so as to create a bright future for China-Arab relations and make contributions to world peace and development.
According to details, Arab leaders convened on Wednesday in Algeria for the second day of the 31st summit of the largest annual Arab conference, seeking common ground on several divisive issues in the region. The meeting comes against the backdrop of rising inflation, food and energy shortages, drought and soaring cost of living across the Middle East and Africa.
The kings, emirs, presidents and prime ministers discussed thorny issues during a two-day gathering in the capital Algiers, such as the establishment of diplomatic ties between Israel and four Arab countries as former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies appears to be heading to an election victory.
The summit’s discussions were also focused on the food and energy crises aggravated by Russia’s war in Ukraine that has had devastating consequences for Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia, among other Arab countries, struggling to import enough wheat and fuel to satisfy their populations. –Agencies
