Beijing Review: The Fifth FOCAC Ministerial Conference is to be held in mid-July. What are your expectations for the conference?

Nolana Ta-Ama: Let me say, first, that FOCAC is a fundamental part of international cooperation. Therefore, it is one of the most important components of China-Africa relations. About the environment of the China-Africa relations, we have to appreciate that equality and mutual respect have been and still are the main principles of reference.

FOCAC was created on the agreement that this partnership should be developed on the criteria of South-South cooperation, in a way to create a kind of dialogue which would be an institutionalized platform for the promotion of African economic development.

This is why, every three years, especially since the 2006 Beijing summit, consultations are launched and aimed at a stronger strategic partnership to expand China-Africa cooperation to all the actors of African development.

The Fifth FOCAC Ministerial Conference, scheduled for July, will cover the topic of consolidating the achievements and opening new perspectives for the Sino-African strategic partnership. The conference will review steps taken in the development of Sino-African relations up to now.

This conference will also work toward strengthening the achievements, and look at the necessity of expanding the FOCAC members to maintain peace through the development of regional infrastructures and the development of security inside and outside member countries.

At the Fourth FOCAC Ministerial Conference held in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt in 2009, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao proposed eight measures to promote China-Africa cooperation. In your country Togo, have all these measures been implemented? In what sectors did your country strengthen cooperation with China under this platform?

Without hesitation I answer yes! In fact, over and above the loans for investments in big infrastructures, I can say that the Chinese Government approved the debt remission for our country and initiated projects such as well digging, school construction, solar energy, cooperation in and demonstration of agricultural technologies, hospital equipment, supplementary material offered to the center concerning malaria, as well as anti-malarial medications.

What sectors do you hope FOCAC will focus on in its future efforts to promote joint development of China and African countries?

Highlighted sectors will probably concentrate their efforts on research in the construction of peace and security through integration and development policies within the framework of the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa's Development, to accomplish sustainable development.

FOCAC has been running for more than 10 years. Do you think the mechanism should be reformed according to new developments in Sino-African relations?

Ten years of cooperation through the forum prove that the mechanism it established works correctly due to follow-ups, based mostly on permanent consultation between the two parties of the forum—China and the African states.

Obviously, like any human effort, this construction has room for improvement, and it is right that the base of the forum should expand constantly with the integration of women, business persons, jurists, NGOs and universities that organize think tank groups.

A China-aided agricultural technology demonstration center in Togo was completed in late April. What do you think of the role of the center in terms of facilitating agricultural exchanges between China and Togo?

The agricultural technology demonstration center is unanimously acknowledged as one of the most valuable contributions of China to the development of agriculture in Togo and other countries of the region. It is with real satisfaction and gratitude that we see the continuous research on the development of agriculture occupying a special place in the implementation of the eight measures set for Africa.

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