Serbia and China to co-host summit in December

Serbia and China to co-host summit in December

While in Belgrade, the Chinese premier will also sign an agreement to build a super high-speed Belgrade-Budapest railroad line.

Vučić told B92 that the key problem remains the model of financing the project, and that he discussed this with his Chinese counterpart.

"Premier Li showed understanding of the public debt level in Serbia, and I believe that we will find the best funding model for our 180 kilometers of the track, as the Hungarians have no problem financing their 180 kilometers. I said at one point, 'I cannot go back to Belgrade until you promise to come to Belgrade in December'. He told me, 'I'll have to come to Belgrade so you don't stay here," and then everything was easier. I invited Chinese investors and expect that in the process of restructuring some of our companies will be bought by Chinese companies," said Vučić.

"China and Serbia are good friends and partners. The strong traditional friendship, and the solid foundation at the political level are what connects us. Serbia was the first country in Central and Southeastern Europe that established a strategic partnership with China," said the Chinese prime minister, and added that he had accepted the invitation to travel to Belgrade.

This will be the first visit to Serbia by a Chinese head of government since 1986.

Li and Vučić will in December, along with their Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban, sign a contract to build the Belgrade-Budapest railroad. "The construction of this railroad is big progress and will be a very useful project in the current economic situation in Europe, and a positive and encouraging signal," concluded Li at the end of his meeting with Vučić, and invited him to make an official visit to Beijing.

The Serbian prime minister also met with the representatives of the CRBC company, that is currently building the Zemun-Borča bridge in Belgrade. He further met with representatives of the state industrial corporation Norinco, the 151st on its list of the 500 largest companies in the world that deal with defense systems, oil trade and mining, which is interested in investing in Serbia.

Vučić yesterday met with officials from several major Chinese companies to discuss investment opportunities in Serbia.

The Serbian official is attending the World Economic Forum in Tianjin, the so-called summer Davos, along with more than 1,500 participants from 90 countries and leading people of large international companies.