The visiting President of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) Chen Zhili vowed on Tuesday to strengthen cooperation with Egypt on women's issues in the framework of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

Chen Zhili (L1), vice chairperson of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress and president of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), addresses the Women's Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Forum 2009 in Cairo, capital of Egypt, on October 13, 2009. The forum kicked off here on Tuesday. [Zhang Ning/Xinhua]

Chen, who is also the Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People's Congress, made the remarks while meeting with Suzanne Mubarak, Egypt's first lady and president of the National Council for Women in the presidential palace.

Chen said that Egypt and China share a lasting friendship since Egypt is the first Arab and African country to recognize China after 1949, and it is also one of the first countries that established strategic ties with China.

China and Egypt have made great progress in their cooperation in various fields under the leadership of China's President Hu Jintao and his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak, Chen added.?

China appreciates Egypt's adherence to the one-China policy and its support on the issues relating to Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang, Chen said.

Terming the exchange between women as an important part in China-Egypt relations, Chen said that the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Women's Forum 2009 showcased the successful cooperation between ACWF and National Council for Women and the existing goodwill ties between women organizations of the two countries will be further developed in the future.

For her part, Suzanne said that Egyptian women are willing to develop the friendship with Chinese sisters and exert more efforts to build goodwill ties.

The women's forum opens a new field of China-Africa cooperation and is a new supplement for the existing ties between the two sides, she said.

The two-day forum, which was co-organized by ACWF and its Egyptian counterpart, is aimed at consolidating the traditional friendship among Chinese and African women with panel discussions on gender equality and women's development.

As a follow-up event of the "Beijing Declaration of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation," a joint communique is expected at the end of the forum, which will submitted to the 4th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation scheduled for Nov. 6-9 in Egypt.

The meeting was also attended by Meng Xiaosi, Vice President of ACWF and Wu Chunhua, China's ambassador to Egypt.