The Conference of Sino-Arab Friendship was inaugurated in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Tuesday with the attendance of a Chinese Sino-Arab Friendship Association delegation and representatives of more than 20 nongovernmental organizations and associations from Arab countries.

 

Addressing the inaugurating session, Sudanese Vice President Ali Othman Mohammed Taha stressed that the relations between China and the Arab countries was a model of political relations between mature countries.

 

He said that the Sino-Arab friendship was based on mutual respects of sovereignty, culture and civilization as well as no interfering in internal affairs of other countries, expressing his confidence that the relations of cooperation between China and the Arab countries would be developing forward for ever.

 

Taha added that he was noticing with full satisfaction that the Sino-Arab cooperation were rapidly growing in the political, economic and trade fields, saying that the conference successfully opened in Khartoum demonstrated the depth of the friendship between China and the Arab world generally and between China and Sudan especially.

 

Chairman of the Chinese Sino-Arab Friendship Association Tumur Dawamat, on his part, expressed his country's desire to establish a effective partnership with the Arab countries in order to march together on the path of consolidating friendship, cooperation and joint development.

 

"This conference, which is held as China and the Arab countries are celebrating the 50th anniversary of establishing the diplomatic relations, is a milestone in the history of cooperation and exchange between Chinese and Arab people," Tumur Dawamat said.

 

He announced that the Chinese Sino-Arab Friendship Association would work together with the Arab associations and organizations concerned to expand the horizon of partnership between the two sides and to contribute the development of friendship between them.

 

The Conference of Sino-Arab Friendship is held in Khartoum at the initiative of the Arab league according to the resolutions of the Sino-Arab Cooperation Forum held recently in Beijing.

 

The conference is aimed at consolidating the relations of Arab peoples with China and strengthening the joint political, economic and social ties.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 29, 2006)