Foreign news
Highlights of foreign congratulatory messages on Xi’s election as Chinese president
World leaders continued to extend congratulations to Xi Jinping on his election as president of the People’s Republic of China.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said he is ready to work with the Chinese side to raise the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries to a higher level to realize the common expectations and common interests of their people.
Under Xi’s leadership, China has made remarkable achievements in various fields, and the ancient civilization is taking on new vitality, said Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed his confidence that Xi will lead China and the Chinese people to make new successes and achievements and fulfill more established goals and visions.
Kenya will continue to maintain close ties and cooperation with China as the two countries have done since the establishment of diplomatic relations six decades ago, said Kenyan President William Ruto.
Under Xi’s wise leadership, great China has attained economic prosperity and is entering a new stage of development, said Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, adding that China has played a major role in the cause of global justice that is built on respect for countries’ sovereignty and diversity and the realization of the common prosperity of humankind.
Xi’s election is of great significance in defending the principles and values of fairness, justice, peace, security and development around the world, said Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, adding that his country is willing to work with China to build a world that is fair, peaceful and safe and pursues happiness for people.
Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica Roosevelt Skerrit said he is convinced that Xi, in his new term, will lead China to score greater achievements, continue to maintain its influence and play a constructive role in international affairs, and strive to build a community with a shared future for mankind.
Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat said Africa will remain firmly committed to strengthening its partnership with China.
Those also sending congratulatory messages include: Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, Bolivian President Luis Arce, Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, and Zeljka Cvijanovic, rotating chair of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency.
Foreign news
French Envoy Seeks Collaboration With NAN To Boost Seamless Relationship
The new French envoy to Nigeria, Marc Fonbaustier, on Wednesday called for collaboration with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) toward strengthening the mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries.
Fonbaustier, who is the French ambassador to Nigeria and the ECOWAS, made the call when he paid a courtesy visit to Malam Ali Muhammad Ali, NAN’s Managing Director, in Abuja.
The ambassador said that his purpose of visiting was to pay tribute to the MD, and to seek collaboration in three areas with a view to promoting stronger, seamless and fruitful partnership between both countries.
He added that Nigeria and its people were hospitable, especially to the foreigners and ambassadors alike.
He added that Nigeria was a country with so much energy, strength, stamina and so many talents.
In Nigeria, with the population of this size, it is inevitable that the elites of the country are very outstanding, “and there may be a Franco/Nigeria moments now”, he jokes.
According to him, France and Nigeria can collaborate more and learn from each other.
“I could feel it particularly during the state visit of President Bola Tinubu which took place in November 2024.
“I was there and I could see the intensity, the strength and the scope of the partnership, and I am here to scale up that partnership in all sectors.
“I am coming here for three reasons, first, to pay a tribute to the NAN MD and his team for the quality of this agency. We can testify that the contents that you publish are very factual, and also very well set up and structured.
“You do fact checking and you really do try to provide the community with quality information. I think, as a French ambassador, I can recognise that as part of a living democracy,” he said.
The French ambassador said the second reason for the visit was to intimate the NAN MD of France’s eagerness to go on partnership with NAN saying he hoped for assurance of a seamless, fluid and easy relationship.
He said that his third reason stemmed from his observation that NAN recently signed some partnership framework agreements with Egypt and China, saying “it may be time to think of balancing this partnership with others”.
“Especially with French, and to talk with Agence France-Presse (AFP) to see if there’s ground for a closer relationship between NAN and AFP.
“Which is also a recognised agency like yours, and I bet you the sky will be the limit to the collaboration, ’’he said.
Responding, the NAN MD informed the envoy that the agency was African’s biggest news content provider on account of its size.
Ali gave the envoy a little details of the agency’s operation and its outreach, saying “as our continent’s biggest news content provider, we have offices nationwide and in selected African countries.
“We have offices in countries such as South Africa, Cote d’ivoire, Addis Ababa, and then we have offices also beyond the shores of Africa. We have in New York and we are the only resident wire service in the United Nations.
“At a time in the past, the agency had 11 foreign offices, including Moscow, and presently, we are trying to re-open some of our shut offices, especially in London.
“We value partnership and understanding that we have with similar news organisation such as Reuters and, incidentally, we have a long standing relationship with AFP which you just raised.
“I know for years we have exchange of news between NAN and AFP but it’s a cooperation that we will like to strengthen and with your greater involvement,’’ he said.
The MD commended the ambassador for reaching out and engaging with some Nigerians communities to douse the tension of the allegation made by the Nigeriens.
He also lauded the envoy’s leadership and visibility to Nigeria and the ECOWAS, “which has helped to douse the perception and misconceptions about France, especially in the Sahel”.
“I think you have helped to reverse some of this perceptions. I thank you for the kind words that you said about the agency and about our management.
“We also see partnership as an important tool in checking the spread of fake news.
“We’ve seen instances where fake news has done great deal of damage, and with the coming of social media it has done even greater damage.
“Our country is facing a lot of challenges, one of which is the increasing insecurity, and the social media has been used by those who do not want to see our country to prosper,” Ali said.
He further said that NAN was a credible news agency that always fact check to correct the wrong narratives by those who are in the business of causing troubles.
He also told the envoy that the agency has its content in the Nigerian indigenous languages, starting with Hausa and it would proceed to Yoruba and Igbo languages later, “then later in future to French.
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