site.btaPrime Minister Borissov Addresses China-CEE Summit

Prime Minister Borissov Addresses China-CEE Summit

Suzhou, Southeastern China, November 24 (BTA special correspondent Genka Ivanova) - Addressing the Fourth Summit of China and Central and Eastern European Countries, which opened in Suzhou on Tuesday, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said today's economic reality calls for deeper dialogue between Europe and China. Borissov said the 16+1 initiative involving China and 16 Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries provides an important platform for coordination of joint actions in order to boost economic development and raise living standards.

He praised the achievements under the 16+1 initiative in the last four years and underlined Bulgaria's active part in them. "Our aim is to promote pragmatic, result-oriented cooperation in trade, agriculture, transport, mechanical engineering, information technology," the Prime Minister said. He added that Bulgaria and China will consider establishing a working group to devise business models for infrastructure projects.

Noting Bulgaria's role in establishing the Agricultural Cooperation Centre for CEE and China and in hosting the Second Cultural Cooperation Forum in the same format, Borissov said his country will be honoured to organize a meeting of the mayors of the 17 capital cities of the initiative, which can be held in Sofia in 2016.