The fourth meeting of senior officials of the Sino-Arab Cooperation Forum (SACF) came to a close on Thursday, with both sides desirous to increase cooperation within the framework of the forum.

 

A final document highlighted the importance of exchange and cooperation between China and Arab countries.

 

The document chronicled the progresses made by China and Arab countries in various fields including political, economical, cultural and educational sectors.

 

Regarding further cooperation, the document read that the two sides would use the framework of the SACF to actively engage in various exchanges.

 

The two sides will notably forge ahead with cooperation on human resources development, travel, culture, environment and science, it said, adding that more avenues for cooperation would also actively be sought. ?

 

Addressing the opening session of the meeting on Wednesday morning, AL Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Ahmad Ben Hely said that the forum had been a great aid to China-Arab?cooperation since its inception in 2004.

 

Continuing this forward momentum, Ben Hely said that Arab countries and China should extend its reaches to the fields of energy investment, human resources development, cultural exchange, environmental protection and education.

 

Song Aiguo, Director General of West Asian and North African Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, also spoke on Wednesday saying that the forum would focus on creating new partnership mechanisms.

 

The two-day meeting also revolved on preparing the third SACF ministerial conference, slated for 2008 in Bahrain.

 

At a joint press conference with Ben Hely on Thursday after the meeting wrapped, Song said the Chinese government paid great importance to this meeting, as could be seen from the unprecedented participation of eight governmental departments in the Chinese delegation.

 

He also outlined that the Sino-Arab relationship was at a new political and economic stage, as could be witnessed by the frequent high level visits and increasing trade volume between the two sides.

 

Latest statistics put the trade volume between China and Arab countries at US$66.2 billion for 2006, making the Arab world China's eighth largest trade partner.

 

Since the second SACF ministerial meeting in Beijing last year, a series of activities have taken place including an Arab art festival, seminars on environmental protection and the petroleum chemical industry.

 

In addition, the second China-Arab Business Conference closed two weeks ago in the Jordanian capital Amman, with around 1,000 entrepreneurs from China and 16 Arab countries in attendance.

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 6, 2007)