KHARTOUM, Jan. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- Egypt highly values China's role in the African region and supports all projects adopted by China in its strategic program for development in Africa, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abu al-Gheit said here on Friday.

    Abu al-Gheit, who is in the Sudanese capital for the 8th ordinary session of the African Union (AU) executive council, told Xinhua that his country has the intention of hosting Africa-China ministerial conferences.

    His comment came as the Chinese government has renewed its commitment to helping Africa, the world's least developed continent, to fulfill development goals through closer cooperation.

    Abu al-Gheit also said that the AU summit to be held here early next week will be successful. More than 30 African heads of state and government will attend the biannual summit scheduled in Khartoum on January 23-24 to discuss issues concerning peace and development issues of the continent.

    The Egyptian minister implied his country's support to a proposal presented by Sudan for the summit on the establishment of an African organization of education, culture and science, adding "we hope that the African continent should realize its objectives in enhancing the role of education and culture which are constituting the key value of the summit to draw its nations together."

    He stressed a distinguished role of his country among both the Arab and the African worlds, pointing out that "Egypt is both an Arab and African country and, therefore, plays the two roles as a bridge of communication between the two nations and within the whole Africa."

    "The Egyptian role has been on the ground in this continent over tens of years and Egypt had efficient contributions in realizing the objectives of this continent since the movements of liberation and once again in realizing peace and then now in the development process," said Abu al-Gheit.

    He disclosed that the upcoming AU summit would tackle the issue of amending the union's institutions and the process of amendment in the United Nations, saying "the issue of the amendment is thereon all timetables of all the AU biannual summits and will continue to be there because the aim is to improve the quality of the African work." Enditem