HAMMAMET - Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and six of his Arab counterparts pledged?to further ties between their countries?on Wednesday.

The foreign ministers were meeting ahead of the Fifth Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to development?of?friendly ties with Arab countries and appreciates their valuable support on issues that concern China's core interests or are of China's major concern, Yang told top diplomats from Kuwait, Egypt, Sudan, Morocco, Jordan and Oman.

China is willing to join hands with Arab countries to strengthen?dialogues and cooperation, and to make this ministerial conference a success, Yang said.

The Arab foreign ministers hailed the progress in the Arab-China relations and praised the achievement scored by the China-Arab Cooperation Forum since its establishment in 2004.

They expressed?hope that the two sides could further enhance their exchanges and cooperation in areas such as politics, trade and culture.

The ministers also exchanged views on respective bilateral ties and the international and regional issues of common concern.

Yang arrived in the eastern Tunisian seaside city of Hammamet earlier Wednesday to attend the Fifth Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum, which is scheduled for Thursday.

The forum, which?was designed to promote exchanges and cooperation between China and Arab nations,?was previously held in Cairo, Beijing, Bahrain's capital city of Manama and China's port city of Tianjin.