File photo shows the Djibouti International Free Trade Zone in Djibouti. Djibouti is not only a hub of maritime traffic and trade between Europe, Asia and Africa, but also an important gateway to Africa for the construction of the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. In recent years, a number of China-Djibouti cooperation projects have made important contributions to promoting China-Djibouti economic and trade cooperation. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

ADDIS ABABA, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Africa's first Luban Workshop was launched in Djibouti on Thursday with an aim to provide quality vocational training to local people, the country's youth in particular.

Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh, Chinese ambassador to Djibouti Zhuo Ruisheng, and President of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) Yuan Li were among those who took part in the opening ceremony of the workshop on Thursday.

The workshop, which is the first of 10 Luban workshops to be established across the African continent, is expected to boost Djibouti's overall development through the training of the country's youth.

Guelleh said during the opening ceremony that the commencement of the workshop has the potential to improve the quality of students, better serve development projects across the country, as well as provide well-trained talents to the country.

Noting the various important infrastructure projects that were built in Djibouti over the past years, Guelleh stressed that the Luban workshop will "further enhance the competitiveness of Djibouti through the development of successful young talents."

Djibouti needs new technology and upgraded economic development, Guelleh stressed.

He described the various positive outcomes the Horn of African country achieved due to its "successful" cooperation with China, mainly in the areas of infrastructure and human resource development endeavors.

The Djiboutian president urged the country's Ministry of Education and other education sector stakeholders to exert strong attention to vocational education so as to meet the needs of the society through talent cultivation.

The CCECC established the workshop with academic support from Tianjin First College of Commerce and Tianjin Railway Technical and Vocational College.

Yuan Li said that the workshop will "cultivate professional talents for Djibouti in line with national development needs."

Yuan stressed that the workshop, by providing effective vocational training for the youths, will boost for the country's economic development.