China-Africa relations have "gone from strength to strength" since the start of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2000, Ireland's former Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, also co-chairman of InterAction Council, told CGTN's Michael Voss in an exclusive interview days before the opening of the 8th Ministerial Conference of FOCAC.

Ahern, who has been on many visits to China and African countries, acknowledged the positive role of the forum in strengthening China-Africa relations and pointed out that ties have been deepening through the decades.

"I think at the outset, it was cooperation and build a better relationship and over the last 20 years or so it's moved into probably every area including every ministry," said Ahern, who noted that the agenda has also increased from a very limited one with just one or two items to extensive items in diplomatic and cultural areas.

Speaking of the special features of China-Africa cooperation, Ahern underlined the enormous amount of infrastructure China has helped build in Africa and said that the great effort China has put in has led to major benefits for people on the continent.

The former Irish prime minister mentioned debt issues when speaking of the possible cooperation between China and Ireland in Africa, and said that China has played a crucial role in eliminating debt in several African countries.