Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam said on Tuesday that he expects the first Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), scheduled for Nov. 3-5, to be a very successful meeting.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Ramgoolam said that the upcoming gathering would provide an opportunity to review existing relations and also the chance to further advance these good relations, which are primarily based on mutual trust, independence and respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

African nations view China as a very reliable country that always provides the continent with every necessary assistance in times of need, he said.

The Beijing summit is expected to adopt a declaration and a plan of action, covering broad-based cooperation in investment, trade, infrastructure, agriculture, environmental protection and social development.

Ramgoolam praised China as one of the most friendly countries, which pursues a special policy that is extremely supportive of the African continent.

Citing China's active support for Africa's bid to win a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, he lauded the deep-rooted friendly ties cherished by China and Africa, in relation to world politics.

The prime minister also praised China for its persistent struggle toward a new, fairer order in world trade, which is also in favor of Africa.

On Sino-Mauritian relations, Ramgoolam said that his country enjoys special ties with China. Since his re-election in July lastyear, the Mauritian government has tried its utmost to promote relations between the two countries, he added.

Mauritian Foreign Minister Madan Murlidhar Dulloo visited China in July, contributing to the enhancement of cooperative ties, said the prime minister.

Describing China as one of the most important partners, Ramgoolam said that he is looking forward to exploring new areas of cooperation during his upcoming visit to China.

He pointed out that Mauritius harbors the ambition to become a gateway for Chinese products and services to Africa.

The island state is situated in the southwestern part of the Indian Ocean, about 800 km east of neighboring Madagascar.

He said Mauritius has already attracted a number of heavy-weight Chinese enterprises, including those operating in the island's textile and IT sectors.

The Mauritian companies expect closer partnerships with their Chinese counterparts, to meet demands from the African markets. Mauritius is a member of the Southern African Development Community and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the two regional blocs which boast of a huge potential market with almost 500 million people, Ramgoolam said.

The prime minister reiterated his country's adherence to the one-China policy, stressing that Mauritius has always stuck to the policy, ever since it established diplomatic ties with China in 1972.

He added that Mauritius has always stood firm and will continue to do so in the future, against any attempts to put the Taiwan issue on the agenda of the UN sessions.

Mauritius strongly believes that the Taiwan issue is entirely a Chinese internal affair, and that China's mainland and its Taiwan province should be peacefully reunited, under the principle of "one country, two systems."

(Xinhua News Agency October 18, 2006)