Chinese FM meets Madagascar's president on cooperation under Belt-Road Initiative

Madagascar's President Hery Rajaonarimampianina (R) meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Jan 7, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

ANTANANARIVO -- Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday met with Madagascar's President Hery Rajaonarimampianina to discuss relations and cooperation between their two countries under the initiative on the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (the Belt and Road Initiative).

The Malagasy president said that friendship between Madagascar and China has a long history and that the two peoples are as dear to each other as members of one family. China has offered a lot of selfless assistance to Madagascar for a long time, and many Chinese enterprises have contributed to Madagascar's development, the president said.

Madagascar, as a gateway into Africa, welcomes and supports China's Belt and Road Initiative, and hopes that this initiative will enter Africa through Madagascar, Rajaonarimampianina said, adding that the country is ready to actively take part in the Belt and Road construction and deepen cooperation with China in agriculture, fishery, tourism and other areas under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China in 2013, aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road trade routes. It has won support from over 100 countries and international organizations.

Madagascar will resolutely continue pursuing the one-China policy, and maintain mutual support with China on issues concerning each other's core interests, the president noted, saying China is a most reliable cooperation partner to Madagascar and that Madagascar is fully confident in the prospects of bilateral relations, said the president.

For his part, Wang conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping's congratulation to Rajaonarimampianina on Madagascar's achievements yielded over recent years in national reconciliation, political stability and striding on a new path of development.

On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, it is hoped that the two sides will avail themselves of this opportunity to discuss and define the direction of development of bilateral relations and the framework of bilateral cooperation in future, Wang said.

China proposes that both countries seize the two major opportunities for international cooperation respectively brought about by the implementation of the outcome of the 2015 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Johannesburg and the promotion of international cooperation under Belt and Road Initiative, give full play to their advantages in mutual complementation, and launch mutually beneficial cooperation in agriculture, fishery, the processing and manufacturing industries, tourism and regional aviation, Wang said.

Meanwhile, to promote such cooperation, the two sides are expected to strengthen infrastructure construction, human resources development and trade and investment facilitation, he said.

China will practically help Madagascar create jobs, improve the people's livelihood, eliminate poverty and realistically transform the nation's unique advantages in geographical location and natural resources into achievements in development, and help Madagascar accelerate industrialization and agricultural modernization and finally realize independent sustainable development, said Wang, totally approved by Rajaonarimampianina.