On February 20th, Chinese President Xi Jinping received the credentials presented by new ambassadors of nine countries to China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
The spring is around the corner in Beijing as ice and snow melted in February. On steps outside the north door of the Great Hall of the People, honor guards were standing along the two sides. As the trumpeters blew the welcoming horn, the new ambassadors arrived one after another to go upstairs into Beijing Hall. They presented credentials to Xi Jinping and Xi also shook hands and took photos with each of them. The ambassadors are Walter Eduardo Duran from El Salvador, Vikram Misri from India, Parakhat Durdyev from Turkmenistan, Dario Mihelin from Croatia, Baktygulova Kanaiym from Kyrgyzstan, Teshome Toga Chanaka from Ethiopia, Abbie Simone David from Granada, Sarah Serem from Kenya, and Mohamed Abdellahi Elboukhary Elvilaly from Mauritania.
Xi Jinping welcomed them to assume new positions in China and conveyed his sincere greetings and good wishes to their peoples and leaders of countries and institutions. He spoke highly of China's relations with the countries, and stressed that China attached great importance to developing ties with the countries and was ready to deepen political mutual trust and expand pragmatic cooperation for greater benefit to people of all countries. Envoys will be fully supported by Chinese government to assume their mission, and are expected to commit efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between the countries.
The ambassadors conveyed cordial greetings from their state leaders to Xi. They told Xi that since it was established 70 years ago, the People's Republic of China had achieved world renowned development and played an increasingly important role in international affairs. Their countries attached great importance to developing ties with China. They pledged to work for greater mutual understanding and friendship between their countries and China, and promote mutually beneficial cooperation.
Xi also met with Vladimir Norov, the newly appointed secretary general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and said that he hoped Norov would make positive contributions to push forward the development of the organization.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi also attended the conference.