PM, Chinese official discuss upcoming summit

PM, Chinese official discuss upcoming summit

Vučić said that he "personally invited over the phone the prime ministers of 15 CEE countries" to the Belgrade summit, and almost all of them have confirmed their attendance at the event, where China will be presented by Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, the Serbian government's press office released in a statement.

The Chinese prime minister will hold bilateral meetings with Serbian officials ahead of the summit, the statement says.

This will be the first visit by a Chinese prime minister to Serbia after 28 years, and it will be dedicated to fostering the ties between the two countries, which have developed traditional friendship and strategic partnership.

On the occasion, an official ceremony will mark the opening of the Zemun-Borča bridge, which has been built by a Chinese company, the statement reads.

Vučić expects that, during Prime Minister Li's visit, the talks will continue and that an agreement will be signed on the construction of the Belgrade-Budapest high-speed rail line, which will place the Serbian capital at the hub of the European transport map, adding that the officials will also address other infrastructure projects.

The Serbian prime minister said that Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang will be declared an honorary citizen of Belgrade and underscored Serbia's support for the One-China policy.

Wang Chao, who is leading the Chinese delegation to a meeting of the national coordinators for the China-CEE cooperation mechanism which will discuss preparations for the summit, stated that Beijing highly appreciates the efforts that the Serbian side is investing in the preparations for the summit, as the cooperation with the CEE countries is of immense importance for China.

Wang said that China attaches special importance to relations with Serbia, which are characterized by political trust and the strengthening of cooperation in all fields.

He said that the Chinese side will request that the China Development Bank prepare draft solutions for financing the Belgrade-Budapest railway, and thanked for the trust placed in the Chinese companies that are doing business in Serbia.

The Chinese deputy foreign minister said that China backs Serbia along the EU path, and supports its position on Kosovo, reads the release.