Togolese President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe said on Friday
that he eyes the upcoming Africa-China summit in Beijing as a
platform for both sides to lay a cornerstone for better cooperation
in the future.
In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Gnassingbe stressed that
the Beijing summit is an ideal platform for Chinese and African
leaders to discuss issues of their common concern.
Africa and China must set the necessary cornerstone for their
cooperation, he said, hoping that the summit will focus on building
a strong and far-reaching partnership between the two sides.
The cornerstone is a must for future China-Africa cooperation
considering the developments of both sides in recent years, said
the president.
On the one hand, China has been playing an increasingly
significant role in the economic and political affairs of the
world, while on the other, African countries, with the backing of
the African Union and other regional organizations, have begun the
process of political and economic integration, he added.
He thought it was the right decision, under these new
circumstances, to hold the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation
(FOCAC) in Beijing, scheduled for Nov. 3-5.
Gnassingbe said that the African continent needs to have more
international cooperation than before, amid huge sufferings due to
civil war, poverty, AIDS and tuberculosis.
China has always provided African countries with the assistance
they badly need, supporting their struggle against colonial rule in
the past, and offering assistance for their development since
winning national independence from the shackles of various colonial
powers, he said.
Thanks to its unselfish cooperative attitude, China has gained
more influence in Africa, bringing the historical links between the
two sides to a new level, according to the president.
Gnassingbe spoke highly of the friendship between Togo and
China, since the two countries established diplomatic ties in
1972.
Both Togo and China are satisfied to see the fruits of their
cooperation, fostered by late Togolese President Gnassingbe Eyadema
and the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong, he said.
Chinese universities have done a lot to help with the training
of Togolese professionals, especially in medicine and agriculture,
he said, adding that China's assistance has also been in the field
of infrastructure and other areas.
Citing the partnership agreement he signed during his trip to
China in February, he said that both sides laid emphasis on the
development of agriculture, infrastructure and public health.
He said he has been ever more convinced since his visit that
Africa's future lies in China, and that the future success of the
world can not be set apart from China's own.
Gnassingbe expressed hope that China will have a greater role to
play in the future.
"We are happy to see that China's political position is similar
to that of other Southern Countries and to act as their protector.
In the United Nations, where reforms are ongoing to make it more
democratic, China sides with the Southern Countries," he said.
"In building a fairer world for our people, China is a partner
and front-runner," he added.
(Xinhua News Agency October 23, 2006)