Premier hails bright prospect of infrastructure co-op with CEE countries

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Thursday China and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries enjoy broad prospect in their cooperation on infrastructure construction.[Special coverage]

Li made the remark when attending a ceremony marking the completion of a Chinese-built bridge across the River Danube together with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade.

The bridge, 1.5 km in length, is the first one constructed by Chinese companies in Europe, and also the first built over the Danube in Serbia in nearly seven decades.

The Chinese premier hailed the bridge, which was completed in three years, as a great achievement of China-Serbia friendship.

Chinese equipment was used in building the bridge, while employment was promoted in local regions during the construction, Li added.

The bridge will hugely facilitate the travelling of people on both sides and help boost Serbia's economic development, he said.

It is a bridge linking the hearts of Chinese and Serbian peoples, and also one for the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Europe, Li noted.

China is willing to actively participate in the infrastructure construction of Serbia and other countries in the region, and implement related projects in accordance with European Union standards, Li said.

He also vowed China's efforts in building the China-Europe land-sea express passage, which will help strengthen interconnectivity and scale up trade between China and European countries.

During Li's stay in Belgrade, China, Serbia, Hungary and Macedonia agreed to build the express line, which links the Greek port of Piraeus in the south and the Hungarian capital of Budapest in the north, stringing the Macedonian capital of Skopje and Belgrade.

China also reached consensus with related countries on completing the railway project connecting Serbia and Hungary in two years' time.

For his part, Vucic called the bridge over the Danube a symbol of friendship with China and an accomplishment in bilateral cooperation.

The Serbian government and people are grateful to China's help and support, and will work with China to bring bilateral friendly, comprehensive cooperation to a new level, said the Serbian prime minister.

On Thursday afternoon, Li was presented the charter of honorary citizen of Belgrade during a ceremony at the Belgrade City Assembly. He also exchanged views with some distinguished Serbian personages on expanding bilateral cooperation in such areas as culture and sports.

Li wrapped up late Thursday his three-day tour in Serbia after an official visit and a meeting with CEE nations' leaders.

He would be in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday for a summit of the Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Cooperation before completing his three-nation Eurasia trip which has taken him to Kazakhstan in the first place.