Africa: Prime Minister Wen Jiaboa Receives President Kaberuka 'Our Assistance to Africa is Sincere, Selfless and With No Conditions Attached,' PM Emphasizes

15 May 2007
African Development Bank (Abidjan)

Shanghai — The Prime Minister of China, Mr. Wen Jiabao on Tuesday in Shanghai received the President of the African Development Bank Group, Mr. Donald Kaberuka. The AfDB President is in China for the Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the African Development Bank and the African Development Fund, opening in Shanghai on Wednesday, May 16. 2007.

Premier Wen Jiabao and Mr. Kaberuka discussed China's relations with Africa and its support for the Bank's development efforts in the region.

Chinese assistance to Africa, the Prime Minister said, is sincere, selfless, and comes with no conditions attached. "Our assistance is not designed to increase Africa's debt; it is designed to increase the region's capacity to develop and improve living conditions for its people," he added.

On the question of debt, the Prime Minister underscored his country's participation in the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) and said that China will also respond positively to the Bank's request for resources to replenish the ADF, the Bank Group's soft loan arm.

Expressing his gratitude for China's support for the Bank and for its role in the MDRI and in poverty reduction in Africa, President Kaberuka pointed out that there were countries in the region that could no longer carry any more debt and that the Bank was particularly concerned about these countries.

Their discussion touched on critical topical issues in Africa. The Prime Minister said that China supported development and stability in Africa and hoped that "peace and stability will be restored in the Darfur region in Sudan." He said he also hoped that Darfur would resolve its own problems through negotiations and that UN resolutions, especially the second phase of the Annan Plan, would be implemented.

Mr. Wen Jiabao will on Wednesday preside over the opening session of the 2007 Annual Meetings.

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