BANJUL, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Gambia inaugurated on Saturday a Chinese-built international conference center.

Occupying a gross floor area of 14,000 square meters, the conference center has a 1,000-seat major conference hall, four 200-seat themed meeting rooms, one lounge, four pressrooms and news centers, 14 meeting rooms, office sections, Banquet halls and other accessory rooms.

"We strongly believe this project will elevate the already cordial bilateral relations between China and The Gambia to a new height," said Ma Jianchun, Chinese ambassador to The Gambia.

He said The Gambia's need for infrastructural development is in line with the Chinese leader's promise of creating more development projects in Africa.

"It's a new relationship rooted in a mutually beneficial cooperation formula for Africa and China," Gambian President Adama Barrow stated.

Barrow expressed the belief that the center will give The Gambia the opportunity to attract and host meetings, travels, conventions, and exhibition.

"The center will provide an opportunity for employment, open up the tourism industry market, enhance transport services and expose our diversities and cultures to the world," he said.

According to Gambian Minister of Transport, Works and Infrastructure, Bai Lamin Jobe, 20 Gambians were recently trained in China to manage the center named after the first president of The Gambia Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara.

This is the first project China supported in The Gambia following the resumption of bilateral ties in 2016.