(Xinhua/Wang Ping)
ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang met with Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa on Tuesday.
Mekonnen said the Chinese foreign minister’s first visit to Ethiopia earlier in the new year is of great significance for bilateral ties as well as broader Africa-China ties.
Ethiopia and China share a traditional friendship. The two countries have always respected each other and maintained strong bilateral ties, Mekonnen said, stressing that China has provided important assistance to Ethiopia in overcoming challenges and in economic and social development.
Mekonnen said China upheld principles and advocated justice in international affairs and strongly supported Ethiopia in upholding its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Ethiopia will take this into account and hope to update all aspects of bilateral ties and strengthen practical cooperation with China in areas such as digital economy, agriculture and capacity-building, he said.
Qin said his visit to Africa and Ethiopia on his first overseas trip after taking office reflects the special importance of Africa-China and Ethiopia relations in China’s diplomacy.
Noting that China and Ethiopia are comprehensive strategic partners for cooperation, Qin said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties more than 50 years ago, the two sides have firmly supported each other in safeguarding their respective fundamental interests and main concerns and exploring development supported in ways adapted to their national circumstances, and mutual strategic trust has steadily grown.
Thanks to solid political foundations and deep public support from both sides, Qin said China-Ethiopia cooperation in various fields has developed rapidly and brought fruitful results.
Qin said Ethiopia has actively participated in the Belt and Road Initiative and China has been Ethiopia’s largest source of foreign direct investment and trading partners for many years.
Qin pointed out that a large number of key cooperation projects, such as Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, Addis Ababa Light Rail, Addis Ababa Riverside Green Development Project and African Leadership Academy, have been completed or implemented smoothly.
Qin suggested that both sides take the implementation of the “Nine Projects” proposed at the eighth ministerial meeting of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum in November 2021 and the outcomes of the Belt and Road Initiative as an opportunity. To create synergies between their development strategies, increase cooperation in different fields, create more new growth areas and generate more benefits for the two peoples.
After the talks, both sides signed various cooperation documents, including a memorandum of understanding on political consultations between the two foreign ministries.