John Baimba Sesay – China
18 July 2012
Sierra Leone’s Foreign and Finance Ministers have arrived in Beijing, the Peoples Republic of China, along with senior officials to attend the 5th Ministerial Conference on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
Both Ministers – Joseph Bandabla Dauda, Foreign Affairs, and Dr. Samura Kamara, Finance and Development are accompanied by Umaru Dura, Director of Asia Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Abi Elizabeth Kamara from the Development Assistance Coordination Office, in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.
The meeting which is expected to adopt the Beijing Declaration of the 5th Ministerial Conference of FOCAC and FOCAC-Beijing Action Plan (2013-2014), will commence on the 19th and ends on the 20th July 2012.
This year’s ministerial conference will build important consensus for China-Africa relations and discuss major international and regional issues. Delegates will also chart the course for China-Africa cooperation to be achieved in 2013-2015.
The conference will focus on the need to ‘building on past achievements and open up new prospects for the new type of China-Africa Strategic Partnership’.
It is also expected to review the implementation of the follow-up actions of the fourth Ministerial Conference.
A report on the follow-up action plan will be presented by the Chinese Foreign Minister, while the Commerce Minister of China will report on the implementation of the economy and trade measures of the 4th Ministerial Conference.
Representatives of the five sub-regions in Africa, the African Union Chairman among others, will also participate at the conference.
This fifth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC is the first of such conference to be held in the second decade, since its formation in 2000. Its aim is to foster solidarity and cooperation based on equality, consultation, consensus, friendship, partnership and mutual benefit.
The Foreign Minister of Sierra Leone is expected to also meet with his Chinese counterpart to discuss matters of mutual state interest. The Ministerial Conference will be attended by Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to China, Ambassador Abubakarr Multi-Kamara and the Head of Chancery, Paul A.S Minah.
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