Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and his Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borissov on Friday agreed to consolidate political mutual trust and deepen pragmatic cooperation in order to promote bilateral relations to a new level.
Li met with Borissov in the morning in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, the first leg of his week-long trip to Europe. It marks Li's first tour to Bulgaria after taking office, and also the first visit to Bulgaria by a Chinese premier in 18 years.
After the meeting, the two sides issued a joint communique, in which they highly valued 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.
During their meeting, Li said China and Bulgaria enjoyed deep-rooted traditional friendship which has become even stronger and vigorous.
China is willing to work with Bulgaria to take the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations next year as a new starting point to maintain high-level contacts, consolidate political mutual trust, deepen pragmatic cooperation and increase converging interests so as to promote bilateral relations to a new level, Li said.
The Chinese premier expressed the hope that the two countries would increase exchanges at various levels, support each other on issues concerning the other's core interests and major concerns, accelerate synergizing their development strategies, expand trade and investment, develop cooperation in agriculture and strengthen people-to-people exchanges.
The Chinese premier arrived in Bulgaria on Thursday for an official visit to the European country, and will attend the seventh leaders' meeting of China and 16 Central and Eastern European countries.
