Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan will pay an official visit to Turkey, Libya, Central Africa, Cameroon, Gabon and Angola from January 6 to 17, according to Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue in Beijing Thursday.

Through the visit, the foreign minister is expected to deepen communication, expand common understanding, and exchange views on bilateral ties and both regional and international issues of common concern with his counterparts in order to fulfill the target of deepening friendship and increasing cooperation, said Zhang.

The visit, the first ever by Tang after the Sino-African Cooperation Forum held in Beijing in October, is also considered a good opportunity to consult on the implementation of specific forum results and another effort to strengthen Sino-African cooperation, said the spokeswoman.

According to her, Tang will pay the visit at the invitation of Ismail Cem, foreign minister of Turkey; Abd Al-Rahman Mohammed Shalqam, secretary of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Libya; Marcel Metefara, minister of Foreign Affairs and Francophone of Central Africa; Augustin Kontchou Kouomegni, minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Cameroon; Jean Ping, minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Francophone of Gabon; and Joao Bernardo De Miranda, minister of Foreign Affairs of Angola.

(Xinhua 12/28/2000)