KHARTOUM, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Participants at the Forum on the Chinese-Arab Cooperation in Fields of Scientific Research, which kicked off its session in Khartoum on Tuesday, affirmed importance of enhancing the partnership between the two sides, exchanging scientific experience and activating the role of scientific research centers.

    They further stressed the need to focus on scientific researches according to needs of communities of each country, transfer technologies and increase the number of delegated students between China and the Arab Countries.

    The Sudanese Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Peter Adok, addressing the opening session of the forum, said "the standing political, economic, scientific and social relations between the Arab countries and China constitute a model for the south-south relations."

    "This forum is important and strategic and we hope it would come out with recommendations and resolutions that would add a new dimension to the Sino-Arab relations. We are looking forward to make use of the advanced Chinese experience in field of science and technology," he added.

    Representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Li Lianhe, for his part, said the forum constituted an important tributary to support the Chinese-Arab relations in the educational, economic, political fields and others.

    "Education is the base of everything, and we believe this standing cooperation is fruitful and will achieve common benefits for China and the Arab countries," he said, adding that "China is concerned with developing its relations with the Arab countries and increase the level of partnership in field of higher education."

    He noted that China annually receives great numbers of Arab students in the field of higher education.

    Representative of the Chinese Higher Education Ministry Liu Baoli, in the meantime, said the forum represented a real addition to the Chinese-Arab relations.

    "The forum will further enhance the Chinese-Arab relations and contribute to the development of partnership in fields of higher education and scientific research", he noted.

    Representative of Arab League (AL) Secretary General Fa'iqa Saeed al-Salih, who is also addressing the forum, affirmed the AL commitment to enhance the relations with China.

    "This forum tends to develop the higher education and technology in cooperation with China and the Arab countries, and it reflects the strong bond linking the Arab and Chinese people in all fields," she said.

    The Chinese Ambassador to Khartoum Li Chengwen made a speech at the forum, he said the Chinese-Arab cooperation has witnessed considerable development thanks to the distinguished partnership between the two sides.

    "Sudan is among countries which attaches a great concern to education, matter which encouraged us to strengthen the partnership between us and create more modern and more useful means of cooperation in field of education, including the idea of the mobile schools which was the first experience for us in the western Sudanese region of Darfur," he said.

    The two-day forum will discuss horizons of the Chinese-Arab cooperation in the field of scientific research, the technological development and opportunities of cooperation in developing researchers' capabilities.

    Experts from a number of Chinese and Arab universities together with representative of the ministries of education in the Arab countries participate in the forum.