UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Tuesday asked countries in Africa's Great Lakes Region to use the rare window of opportunity to promote peace and development.
The situation in the Great Lakes Region has stabilized and improved in recent years, presenting a rare window of opportunity for peace and development, said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.
The past six months saw a reinforcement of such positive momentum. The general elections in Burundi were held smoothly; the reform of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is progressing steadily; and relations between regional states are gradually improving, along with greater willingness to resolve disputes through peaceful means, he told the Security Council.
China calls on countries in the region to build consensus, strengthen cooperation, and turn challenges into opportunity with a view to achieving regional peace, stability, and common development at an early date, he said.
Countries in the region share a common destiny. The security risks of any one country may spill over to its neighbors, and the crisis of one country may become a regional challenge. COVID-19 and Ebola have highlighted the urgency of regional cooperation, he said.
Dai asked countries in the region to earnestly implement the 2013 Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the region.
Countries in the region should respect each others' sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. This is what is required for the implementation of the framework and a precondition for regional peace and stability. China encourages regional countries to continue to earnestly honor their commitments under the framework, enhance mutual trust and strengthen good neighborly relations, he said.
The international community should respect the leadership of regional countries in handling their own affairs and support regional and sub-regional organizations in playing their respective important roles, he added.
With political situations stabilized, the focus of governments has gradually shifted to national reconstruction and deepening reforms. The international community should create an enabling external environment and actively help regional countries strengthen capacity building and improve national governance, he said. Enditem