China and Cape Verde signed on Monday an agreement to enable regular formal political and diplomatic consultation between the two nations, media in the latter country reported.

Cape Verdean newspaper A Semana quoted Cape Verde’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying the mechanism will help bilateral exchange of ideas as well as “coordination of relations and common interests” between the two sides.

The deal was signed on Monday in Praia, the capital of the African archipelago, between Cape Verde’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jorge Tolentino, and the Chinese Ambassador to Cape Verde, Du Xiaocong, the latter as representative of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Cape Verdean news agency Inforpress quoted Mr Du saying both sides would work hard to produce next year “new fruits” from bilateral co-operation.

In thanking China for its support for the development of the archipelago, Mr Tolentino said the deal would forge an open dialogue.