A dozen ministers and senior officials from Eritrea expressed their wishes to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in various areas between their country and China at a seminar on the Belt and Road Initiative and China-Eritrea Pragmatic Cooperation organized by the Chinese embassy in Eritrea.

Yang Zigang, China's ambassador to the country, said the purpose of the seminar, held on Sept 28, was to help Eritrea to better understand the importance of Belt and Road as an international cooperation platform, to assist Eritrean involvement in the program and to promote bilateral cooperation to boost Eritrea's development.

Yang elaborated for Eritrean officials on the principles of wide consultation, the joint contribution and shared benefits of the initiative and the cooperation framework of policy coordination, facilities connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people links.

He also introduced the achievements of the Belt and Road Forum on International Cooperation held in Beijing in May.

"The Belt and Road Initiative is the greatest public product provided by China to the international community," said Yang. "The initiative has become the largest and most open cooperation platform in today's world. The African countries, including Eritrea, are the important partners of the joint construction of the Belt and Road."

The Chinese embassy is willing to strengthen its communication with Eritrea to push forward the exploration of new opportunities during the cooperative construction of Belt and Road to realize co-development and benefit the peoples of both countries, Yang said.

Hagos Ghebrehiwet, the head of economic affairs for the People's Front for Democracy and Justice, expressed his gratitude to the Chinese embassy and said he was deeply impressed by the Belt and Road Forum in May.

After introducing the economic and trade situation and the investment policies of Eritrea, he recalled the development of the pragmatic cooperation between the two countries. He said Eritrea was grateful for help from China in the areas of medical service, education, mining, agriculture, energy and infrastructure construction, which he said has aided the country's development.

"Both sides are making great achievements in various fields through mutually beneficial cooperation," he said.

The Belt and Road Initiative is perfectly in harmony with the development plan of Africa without previous consultation, Ghebrehiwet said.

"Eritrea enjoys a location advantage that links East and Central African countries and the Gulf countries," he said. "It hopes to strengthen cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, infrastructure construction, ports, agriculture, housing, mining and industrial parks with China under the initiative and the framework of the '10 cooperation plans' of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to promote the friendly relationship between the two countries," he said.

At the seminar, representatives from China-funded institutions told of their expectations and offered suggestions during a panel discussion. Ministers from such ministries as foreign affairs, finance, information, energy and mines, agriculture, national development, education and public works said Eritrea welcomes more Chinese enterprises to come to the country.

panzhongming@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 10/06/2017 page27)