JAKARTA, April 22 -- Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe said here Wednesday that it is a shared desire and common commitment to expanding, deepening and solidifying the new partnership between Africa and Asia.

"We need to put in much more effort into this new partnership if we are to attain ambitions," Mugabe said while addressing the Asian-African Summit held in the Indonesian capital.

He said to boost the vitality of the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP), countries need to actually implement projects of cooperation.

"Without this, our partnership remains ritualistic and will serve no particularly compelling purpose," Mugabe said.

He hailed Asian nations for the remarkable progress in transforming their economies to become producers of manufactured and processed goods.

Mugabe said Zimbabwe attaches great importance to natural resources in the economic transformation.

"We are convinced that, in the framework of the NAASP, there is unlimited room for sustainable and mutually beneficial practical cooperation between ourselves and our Asian friends."

The president suggested that Asian and African nations should establish more joint ventures for cooperation in sectors of information sharing and technical cooperation.

He also branded the development of modernized and integrated infrastructure as crucial factors in ensuring the success and sustainability of Africa's economic transformation.

The African Union has adopted the Program for Infrastructure Development which covers 16 inter-regional projects.

The projects, mainly in energy, rail and road transport sectors, provide immense opportunities and possibilities for concrete and practical cooperation between the two continents.

According to Mugabe, a continental business network will be launched in less than two months in Africa, in an effort to help the private sector better engage in the continent's infrastructure projects.

He called on Asian companies to participate in the network to help construct more modern and efficient infrastructure in Africa.

At the conclusion of the two-day Asian-African Summit, a declaration on reinvigorating the NAACP is expected to be launched.

The NAACP was initiated 10 years ago during the Asian-African Conference 2005.

Mugabe expressed his wishes that the reinvigoration of the partnership would help boost cooperation between the two continents.