Visiting Chinese President Jiang Zemin met in Tunis Wednesday, on separate occasions, with Fouad Mebazaa, President of the Tunisian National Assembly, and Mohamed Ghannouchi, Prime Minister.
Mebazaa said the Tunisian people cherish a deep friendship with the Chinese people and there exist good relations between leaders of the two countries, between the two governments and between his assembly and the Chinese National People's Congress, China's top legislature.
Noting that the Tunisian side is ready to further promote bilateral relations, he spoke highly of China's success in its development, which he said Tunisia should learn from.
Jiang said the mutual understanding between the two peoples is being deepened and bilateral friendly cooperation is proceeding in a fruitful way.
The two sides have reached extensive consensus on international and regional issues, he said, adding China values its friendly cooperative ties with Tunisia and it is of great importance for both sides to strengthen multi-level contacts, including that between the two parliaments.
Both sides spoke highly of friendly cooperation in many fields
At the meeting, Ghannouchi said China has for years supported Tunisia's economic development, especially the water resource projects, and the Tunisian government and people are very grateful.
Inviting more Chinese companies to invest and run businesses in Tunisia, the prime minister said there exists great potential for bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
Jiang spoke highly of the Sino-Tunisian friendly cooperation in the political, economic, scientific and cultural sectors, saying that both countries should further tighten exchanges and learn fromeach other, so as to achieve common development.
On bilateral economic and trade ties, Jiang said the cooperationis fruitful and the recent period of time has seen new areas of cooperation in household appliances and telecommunications technology.
He is convinced that bilateral friendly cooperation will continuously be enhanced and consolidated in the new century, he said.
Earlier Wednesday, Jiang placed a wreath in front of the SejoumiMonument and visited the National Museum of Bardo in Tunis.
Jiang flew in Tunis Tuesday from Abuja of Nigeria for a state visit. Tunisia is the fourth leg of Jiang's two-week five-nation trip, which will finally take him to Iran on April 18.
Jiang had just ended his state visit to Germany, Libya and Nigeria.
(Xinhua News Agency April 18, 2002)
