Spotlight: China, Bulgaria agree to enhance ties

Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-07 12:52:11|Editor: ZD
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SOFIA, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and his Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borissov agreed on Friday to consolidate political mutual trust and deepen pragmatic cooperation to promote bilateral partnership.

Li held talks with Borissov in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, the first leg of his week-long trip to Europe and also the first visit to Bulgaria by a Chinese premier in 18 years.

In a joint communique issued by the two governments on Friday, both sides spoke highly of the development of bilateral ties in recent years and pledged to enhance cooperation in such areas as infrastructure construction, agriculture, tourism, new technologies, innovation and renewable energy.

"China is willing to work with Bulgaria to take the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year as a new starting point to maintain high-level contacts, consolidate political mutual trust, deepen pragmatic cooperation and increase common interests so as to lift bilateral relations to a new level," Li said in the talks.

The Chinese premier expressed the hope that the two countries would increase exchanges at various levels, support each other on issues concerning their core interests and major concerns, accelerate synergizing their development strategies, expand trade and investment, develop cooperation in agriculture and strengthen people-to-people exchanges.

PRAGMATIC COOPERATION

Li called on China and Bulgaria to seek greater synergy of development strategies, saying the two countries' complementary advantages and mutual needs in economic development give bilateral practical cooperation broad prospects.

The two countries, he suggested, should strengthen cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and in such fields as infrastructure, nuclear energy and the construction of industrial parks.

The Chinese premier also called for expanding bilateral trade and investment and promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation.

"The Chinese government encourages competitive Chinese companies to invest and start business in Bulgaria," Li said, urging Bulgaria to provide them with preferential policies and a good business environment.

On deepening agricultural cooperation, Li said China is willing to import more Bulgarian specialty agricultural products that meet China's market needs. The two sides, he added, should also strengthen cooperation in agricultural product cultivation and processing, agricultural science and technology, and breeding.

Borissov said that based on Bulgaria's location advantage and development needs, the country is willing to draw support from China's advanced technologies and experience in infrastructure construction and cement bilateral cooperation in building roads, ports and airports.

Multiple documents on cooperation in such areas as economy and trade, science and technology, agriculture, quality inspection and finance were inked after the talks.

In the joint communique, Bulgaria expressed support for the Belt and Road Initiative and closer China-Europe connectivity. The two governments agreed to work to upgrade the scale and level of bilateral trade, and pledged joint efforts to promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, oppose unilateralism and protectionism, and safeguard the multilateral trading system.

CLOSER PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE EXCHANGES

Li called for enhanced cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, expressing the hope that they will strengthen cooperation in the fields of culture, language and tourism.

He expressed support for Bulgaria to set up a cultural center in China, and urged the European country to adopt more visa facilitation measures for Chinese citizens.

In the joint communique, the two sides agreed to use the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic ties in 2019 as an opportunity to deepen cooperation in various areas and expand personnel exchanges, so as to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between their people.

The two sides will actively conduct bilateral cultural cooperation and encourage exchanges among their artists, and Bulgaria supports the operation of the Chinese cultural center and Confucius Institute in Sofia, according to the document.

They agreed to expand educational cooperation and encourage students to study in each other's educational institutions. They also vowed to use the preparation for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics as an opportunity to step up sports cooperation.

The two countries pledged to make good use of the 2018 China-EU Tourism Year program to boost cooperation in tourism resources promotion, data exchanges and development of tourist routes. They vowed to take practical measures to attract tourists from each other, and support civil aviation companies to carry out commercial cooperation and launch direct flights when conditions are ripe.

FIRM SUPPORT FOR EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

Li is in Sofia also to attend the seventh meeting of leaders from China and 16 Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC). During the talks, he underlined that China-CEEC cooperation is an important part and useful complement to China-European Union (EU) cooperation and is in line with China-EU relations.

China firmly supports European integration and is willing to see a united, stable and developing EU, Li said.

He expressed the hope that as an important member state of the EU, Bulgaria will play a positive role in promoting the healthy development of Chine-EU relations and in facilitating sound interactions between China-EU cooperation and 16+1 cooperation.

Borissov said Bulgaria and China have been developing bilateral ties in economy and trade, people-to-people exchanges, education and culture through the 16+1 cooperation platform on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.

Bulgaria is willing to enhance infrastructure cooperation with China such as the construction of highways, ports and airports, Borissov said.

Bulgaria expects to show to the world through the meeting of leaders from China and CEEC that the 16+1 cooperation mechanism is not a geopolitical platform, but one for mutually beneficial cooperation based on market rules which is conducive to promoting cooperation between the EU and CEEC, he added.

Also on Friday, Cheng Hong, wife of the Chinese premier, visited a local school and donated books and other teaching equipment.

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