China and Sierra Leone on Tuesday hailed the "reliable and strong" traditional ties and vowed to boost cooperation as Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Sierra Leone's Foreign Minister David Francis spoke over the phone.

Francis said China is a reliable and strong partner of Sierra Leone, and the West African country will continue to stand with China on issues involving its core interests and major concerns. He said he looked forward to deepening cooperation with China in various fields and welcomed Chinese investment in Sierra Leone.

Wang expressed his appreciation and said China also firmly supports Sierra Leone in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence and national dignity, supports its efforts of promoting national development, and supports it in playing a more important role in Africa and on the international stage.

China will continue to provide support and assistance to Sierra Leone in light of its development needs, promote cooperation in mining, agriculture and infrastructure, implement more livelihood projects, and encourage Chinese investment in Sierra Leone to help it improve its independent development capacity and accelerate the industrialization process, said the Chinese foreign minister.

On Ukraine

When it comes to the Ukraine issue, Francis said as a small-sized war-torn country, Sierra Leone advocates peaceful settlement of disputes through political negotiations, and believes that all parties' legitimate security concerns must be taken seriously so as to find a long-term solution.

Meanwhile, he said, concrete measures should be taken to alleviate the impact of food and energy shortages on small and medium-sized countries like those in Africa.

Wang said that the view of Sierra Leone on the issue is also the consensus of most developing countries. China will remain firmly committed to promoting peace and talks, and will work with all parties to do its utmost to mitigate the negative spillover effects of the Ukraine crisis, he added.