Chinese President Hu Jintao and Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo agreed in Abuja Wednesday to work on a strategic plan for the future growth of bilateral relations to push forward the strategic partnership between the two countries.

 

During their talks, the two presidents exchanged in-depth views on bilateral relations as well as international and regional issues of common concern.

 

Hu, who arrived here earlier Wednesday from Morocco, said Sino-Nigerian relations were undergoing all-round development, and the two countries had reached consensus on building strategic partnership with political mutual trust, economic reciprocity and mutual assistance in international affairs.

 

Since the two countries forged diplomatic ties 35 years ago, bilateral relations had progressed steadily despite international and their domestic changes, noted Hu.

 

He attributed the smooth development of bilateral relations to their political sincerity and equal treatment, economic complementarity and reciprocity and expanding cooperation.

 

He stressed that China attached importance to bilateral relations and would work with Nigeria to push forward bilateral strategic partnership.

 

Hu made a four-point proposal for the development of bilateral relations.

 

l         To enhance political mutual trust to promote strategic cooperation

 

l         To expand cooperation in areas including agriculture, energy, electricity, infrastructural construction, telecommunications and satellite to achieve reciprocity and win-win results

 

l         To expand cultural exchanges and cooperation and jointly combat various diseases including malaria and bird flu

 

l         To strengthen cooperation in international affairs to promote world peace, enhance coordination and cooperation on major international issues such as UN reform, human rights, anti-terrorism and peacekeeping, and promote South-South and South-North dialogues to jointly safeguard the just rights and interests of developing countries

 

Echoing with Hu's words, Obasanjo said he was glad to see the two sides were trying their best to implement the consensus on building bilateral strategic partnership and he was convinced that Hu's visit was bound to push forward the growth of bilateral ties.

 

He said the Nigerian people hoped to learn from China's experiences in economic and social development and would join the Chinese people in building a better future for the development of the two countries.

 

Hu and Obasanjo attended a signing ceremony for bilateral cooperative documents covering economy, trade, culture and healthy.

 

Sino-Nigerian trade hit US$2.83 billion in 2005, up 29.6 percent from 2004.

 

Nigeria is the fourth leg of Hu's five-nation tour, which has already taken him to the United States, Saudi Arabia and Morocco, and will also take him to Kenya.

 

(Xinhua News Agency April 27, 2006)