Ethiopia and Kenya will attend the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) to be held in Beijing in May, China’s foreign minister Wang Yi said yesterday.
According to Wang, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya will participate at the high-profile BRF.
The minister said 28 governments have so far confirmed their presence at the event. They will be joined by United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, president of the World Bank Jim Yong Kim, and International Monetary Fund Director Christine Lagard.
More than 1,200 scholars, officials, media representatives and others from 110 countries and 61 international organizations have planned their participation to date.
According to Africa Times, the main events of the forum include an opening ceremony, leaders’ roundtable summit and a high-level conference.
It is expected that China will negotiate and sign cooperation documents with nearly 20 countries and over 20 international organizations, identifying opportunities and putting forward new projects.
Spheres for those discussions include: infrastructure, industry investment, economic and trade cooperation, energy and resources, financial cooperation, and cultural exchanges.
The theme of the forum is “Strengthening International Cooperation and Co-building the ‘Belt and Road’ for Win-win Development.”
[www.fanabc.com]