The first China-Horn of Africa Peace, Good Governance and Development Conference concluded on Tuesday with the parties calling on the international community to work together toward the peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The two-day conference, held in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, was attended by representatives from China, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.

The participants conducted in-depth discussions on regional peace, development and governance, and issued a joint statement.

According to the joint statement, the parties are ready to step up high-level engagements and exchanges at all levels to enhance mutual political trust and pursue peaceful settlement through dialogue and negotiation to ease the security situation in the Horn of Africa region.

The participants agreed to uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security to build "a Horn of Africa where the guns are silenced for sustainable peace," the statement read.

In the statement, China reaffirms its readiness to align the Belt and Road Initiative and the implementation of the outcomes of Forums on China-Africa Cooperation with the development policies of the countries of the region.

China and the regional countries also vow to deepen cooperation in areas such as health, illegal migration, agricultural development for poverty reduction, trade, investment, infrastructure, green development and support for building a development framework featuring "Two Axes plus two Coasts" such as the Addis Ababa-Djibouti and Mombasa-Nairobi development corridors and any other similar projects that can help achieve regional integration.

The statement also noted that the countries of the region have commended China for initiating the outlook on the Horn of Africa Peace, Good Governance and Development Conference, and are committing to actively participating in the implementation of the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative proposed by China.

The participants called on the international community to enhance partnership with the Horn of Africa, and collaborate on the needs identified by the countries of the region, such as development assistance, increased accessibility and diversified development financing, to make a greater contribution to Africa's independent and sustainable development.

(Cover: A train arrives at the Maai Mahiu Station of the Nairobi-Naivasha Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya, October 16, 2019. /Xinhua)