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.
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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)