A ceremony was held on Thursday in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, to celebrate the completion of the new teaching building of the Confucius Institute at the National Higher Education and Research Institute of Eritrea and the 12th anniversary of the institute's establishment.

ASMARA, June 7 (Xinhua) -- A ceremony was held on Thursday in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, to celebrate the completion of the new teaching building of the Confucius Institute at the National Higher Education and Research Institute of Eritrea (CI-NHERI) and the 12th anniversary of the institute's establishment.

Speaking on the occasion, Dai Demao, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Eritrea, said that Chinese teachers have been working diligently at the institute for over a decade, building a "bridge of friendship" across mountains and seas between the two countries.

"On June 10, the international community will also celebrate the first International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations, which was initiated by China. We believe that the Confucius Institute will take the completion of this building as an opportunity to make new contributions to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Eritrea and deepening the strategic partnership between the two countries," Dai said.

The Confucius Institute building project covers an area of about 2,200 square meters, featuring six classrooms, four offices, a library, and a multi-functional auditorium capable of accommodating over 150 attendees. The auditorium is equipped with advanced audio-visual facilities, making it suitable for a variety of performances and events. About 600 students can study at the same time in the building, according to Sichuan Road and Bridge Corporation that built this project.

CI-NHERI was jointly established in 2013 by China's Guizhou University of Finance and Economics and the National Higher Education and Research Institute of Eritrea, aiming to promote the Chinese language and culture and deepen people-to-people exchanges between China and Eritrea.

The institute now offers elementary and intermediate Chinese language courses, as well as Chinese culture courses such as calligraphy, song, dance, and kung fu. The total number of registered learners at CI-NHERI has reached 20,000 since its inception, according to the institute.

"The completion of the new campus heralds another success for the institute. With the new teaching building, the institute will surely expand its language and cultural programs in the future," said Zemenfes Tsighe, director of higher education and international linkage at the National Higher Education and Research Institute of Eritrea.  ■