BEIJING: China and Ethiopia should strengthen the synergy of their development strategies and expand cooperation in a variety of fields to create new growth points and benefit the two peoples more, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Tuesday.
He made the remarks when meeting with Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
As comprehensive strategic partners, Qin said China and Ethiopia firmly support each other’s core interests and major concerns since diplomatic relations were established over half a century ago.
The two countries also explore their own development paths that suit their own national conditions, with strategic mutual trust between the two countries growing, he said.
Qin said it is the solid political foundation and deep public opinion base that accelerate the development of cooperation in various fields between China and Ethiopia, which achieved fruitful results.
He pointed out Ethiopia actively participates in the joint building of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), adding China has maintained Ethiopia’s largest source of foreign direct investment and largest trading partner for many years.
A large number of key cooperation projects such as the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, the Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit, the riverside green development and the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School have been successfully completed or promoted, Qin said.
Both sides should take the opportunity of implementing the results of the nine programs of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the joint building of the BRI, to create more new growth points to bring more benefits to the two peoples, he added.
For his part, Demeke said Qin’s visit to Ethiopia at the beginning of New Year holds great significance to China-Ethiopia and China-Africa relations. Sharing traditional friendship, the two countries always uphold mutual respect, showing strong bilateral relations, he said.
–The Daily Mail-CGTN news exchange item
