China and Ethiopia Pledge to Deepen Friendship and Expand Cooperation
Nizhny Novgorod, The Gulf Observer: In a significant meeting held on Monday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed China’s readiness to deepen friendship and expand cooperation with Ethiopia across various sectors. This statement was made during his discussions with Ethiopian Foreign Minister Taye Atske Selassie.
Highlighting Ethiopia’s status as an influential African nation and the seat of the African Union headquarters, Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, emphasized the importance of Ethiopia’s peace and stability for the region.
“Ethiopia’s domestic peace process has shown orderly progress over the past two years, and the country has achieved remarkable economic and social development,” Wang remarked. He expressed confidence in the Ethiopian government’s and people’s ability to attain even greater success in peace, development, and prosperity.
Wang noted the strong momentum in China-Ethiopia relations, underscored by the strategic communication between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The leaders have reached several important agreements, including the elevation of bilateral relations to an all-weather strategic partnership, paving the way for expanded future cooperation.
“Guided by the important consensuses of our leaders, China is committed to deepening our all-weather friendship, broadening cooperation in various fields, and achieving more milestones in our bilateral relations for the benefit of our people,” Wang added.
Ethiopian Foreign Minister Atske Selassie reciprocated the sentiments, acknowledging Ethiopia’s deep friendship with China. He welcomed the elevation of bilateral relations to an all-weather strategic partnership, noting that China is Ethiopia’s largest source of foreign investment and primary export destination. This bilateral cooperation has significantly bolstered Ethiopia’s economic and social development.
Atske Selassie expressed Ethiopia’s eagerness to learn from China’s development experience and collaborate with other African countries to enhance China-Africa cooperation. He also conveyed Ethiopia’s appreciation and support for the three global initiatives proposed by China, recognizing their milestone significance and expressing willingness to actively participate in their implementation.
Both ministers affirmed their commitment to firmly supporting each other in safeguarding sovereignty and development interests, enhancing pragmatic cooperation, and making constructive contributions to international and regional affairs. They agreed on the importance of making objective, balanced, and constructive voices on global hotspot issues.
The meeting in Nizhny Novgorod marks a pivotal step in strengthening the strategic partnership between China and Ethiopia, promising deeper friendship and broader cooperation in the years to come.
