Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi Wednesday called for a high priority given to capacity building in pursuing UN-AU cooperation.

The African Union's efforts to make peace are constrained by lack of human resources, material supplies and funding, Wang said at the UN Security Council high-level meeting on peace and security in Africa.

"The UN and the international community should respond positively to the AU's legitimate requests, and work creatively to deliver on the promises and translate their pledge into action," he stressed, adding that "we hope that the UN will strengthen its cooperation with the AU in personnel training, institutional building, information and experience sharing, resources management and logistical assistance, fields where the UN has rich experience. "

Wang pointed out that the Declaration on Enhancing UN-AU Cooperation: Framework for the Ten-Year Capacity Building Program for the African Union should be fully implemented, and the UN should play a key role in pooling other international assistance.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, state leaders, including British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi and South African President Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki, and officials at minister level from other member states participated in the meeting, which is initiated by South Africa that holds the presidency of the Security Council for April.

(Xinhua News Agency April 17, 2008)