Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh Sunday said the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was a successful event.

 

The largest number of FOCAC leaders attended the summit, including President Hu Jintao and 41 heads of state or government and senior officials of 48 African countries, Guelleh told Xinhua.

 

This has shown that African countries attached great importance to the establishment of strategic partnership with China, which is based on cooperation, mutual respect, sincerity and non-interference into each other's internal affairs, he said.

 

Guelleh also spoke highly of the eight measures proposed by President Hu on Saturday as well as the declaration and action plan adopted on Sunday, saying they were "inspiring" and "in the common interests and aspiration" of the African and Chinese people.

 

The policies on Africa-China economic and trade cooperation, preferential loans and favorable tariff should be carried out immediately, he stressed.

 

Guelleh, who visited China for the first time in 1979, said China not only provided aid to Africa but also offered experiences and strengths.

 

"China has been with Africa since it fought for independence. We hope China will continue to be with Africa, help Africa and let people see an Africa with bright future," he said.

 

The two-day landmark summit highlighted "friendship, peace, cooperation and development." FOCAC is a mechanism for collective dialogue and cooperation jointly established by China and Africa to cope with new challenges and facilitate common development.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 6, 2006)