The Burundian foreign minister has described the forthcoming
Beijing ministerial conference and summit of the Forum on
China-Africa Cooperation as a reinforcement of the existing
cooperation and friendship between African countries and China.
Antoinette Batumubwira, Burundian minister of external relations
and cooperation, said the Burundian government appreciates very
much the initiative of regularly organizing such a forum on
cooperation between African countries and China.
"The forum allows African countries and China to promote and
reinforce their existing cooperation and friendship," said the
foreign minister. "And the leaders attending the forum find out
that such an occasion enable them to review and work out the
strategy for better mutual support.
"The third China-Africa Forum ministerial conference and the
first Summit of Heads of State from African countries and China
will be a reinforcement of the partnership between African
countries and China. Burundi expects to benefit from these two
meetings," said the minister.
?
While speaking of bilateral relations between Burundi and China,
Batumubwira said that the bilateral relations between the two
countries are excellent.
"China has never stopped supporting Burundi, even when the
country was shocked by its crisis of civil conflicts. And China
will continue to support Burundi in the realization of its
development programs.
"Since China itself is a developing country, it therefore can be
the pivot for the development of African countries," the minister
added.
Because Burundi has just departed itself with a long-time civil
conflict crisis, the elected Burundian government should double its
efforts so that friendly countries will intervene to help the
country reinforce democracy, improve human rights, public health
and education, Batumubwira said.
All these fields kept degrading during the civil conflict crisis
in the past 12 years, she said.
(Xinhua News Agency October 23, 2006)