TheCable

Ahead of the World Economic Forum on Africa slated for May 7-9 in Abuja, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has assured the global community of the safety of all participants.

Jonathan made the assurance at the presidential villa on Thursday, April 24, 2014 while receiving letters of credence from Mr. Gu Xiaojie, China’s new Ambassador to Nigeria.

According to the president, security challenges in some parts of the country will have no effect on the safety of participants at the forum.

“I am quite pleased that the Premier of the People’s Republic of China has confirmed that he is coming. We will be addressing the World Economic Forum on Africa together. We will also sit down together to discuss shared national interests,” NAN reported Jonathan to have said.

“We will give all participants a good reception in Abuja. We have faced challenges in the area of security, but we will overcome the situation so that our economy can move forward faster. Participants will not have a problem with security during the summit.”

The Ambassador assured the president of China’s confidence in Nigeria’s security measures and its ability to successfully host the World Economic Forum on Africa.

“From our assessment, we are confident that all is under control and we have relayed that to our people,” Xiaojie said.

He commended Nigeria’s re-basing of its GDP and its emergence as the Number One economy in Africa, maintaining that it will certainly stimulate the inflow of foreign investors.

President Jonathan also received the letters of credence of Mr. Lim Juay, the new Malaysian Ambassador to Nigeria, and Mr. Chailert Limsoboom, the new Ambassador of Thailand.

The president urged all the ambassadors to do their best in terms of enhancing areas of bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and their respective countries, and he wished them successful and rewarding tenures in Nigeria.