Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Equatorial Guinea Minister Seeks Strong Ties With U.S An Equatorial Guinea cabinet minister says President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogoâs government wants to strengthen âcooperation and friendshipâ with the Barack Obama administration. Peter Clottey 05 April 2010 Photo: The White House President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama pose for a photo during a reception at the Metropolitan Museum in New York with, H.E. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and his wife, Mrs. Constancia Mangue de Obiang, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson) This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, or promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House. An Equatorial Guinea cabinet minister says President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogoâs government wants to strengthen âcooperation and friendshipâ with the Barack Obama administration. On his recent trip to the United States, Foreign Minister Pastor Micha Ondo Bile said criticism of President Mbasogoâs rule by the international media is misplaced and shows a lack of understanding of Equatorial Guineaâs growing democracy. âMy objective is to strengthen the relationship of cooperation and friendship with the United States of America, and above all with the Obama Administrationâ¦and as such the United States is now the most important partner of Equatorial Guinea. As a result, my visit to Washington is to hold meetings and exchange impressions of how we can further strengthen these relationships of friendship and of cooperation with our friend, the United States of America,â he said. In 2008, an American journalist Peter Maas called the Equatorial Guinea leader Africaâs worst dictator, worse than Zimbabweâs embattled President Robert Mugabe -- a charge the government denies. Opposition groups also complained of fraud after incumbent President Mbasogo was declared winner of the 2009 presidential election with over 90 % of the total vote. Mico Abogo, leader of the opposition Convergence for Social Democracy Party (CPDS) denounced President Mbasogoâs government as oppressive adding that it won elections only through fraud. But supporters of the government say the opposition criticism shows the administrationâs commitment towards ensuring freedom of speech and association in Equatorial Guinea. Critics of the administration also say the government has failed to improve the countryâs poor or non-existing infrastructure despite its enormous oil wealth. But Foreign Minister Ondo Bile said the government is âjudiciouslyâ using the oil wealth to aggressively improve Equatorial Guineaâs infrastructure. âWe have already been able to construct asphalt of more than 80% of the national roads. We are building a basic infrastructure which includes the ports and airports in the entire national region. Equatorial Guinea now has the best healthcare facilities in the (Central African) region. We have built hospitals in every 80 kilometers of road in the country. Our priority is education. We created a national university which last year produced the first 110 national doctors. I think that within the next five years, Equatorial Guinea will be self-sufficient in national doctors,â Ondo Bile said. Foreign Minister Ondo Bile further said that during a meeting on the sidelines of the recent United Nations General Assembly, President Mbasogo urged President Obama to institute a U.SâAfrica summit, which he said will strengthen the cooperation between the United States and Africa. .