Ties with six nations hailed

China's relations with Bulgaria, Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland are facing new and even broader prospects in the new era, President Xi Jinping said.

Xi made the remark while exchanging congratulatory messages with the heads of state of the six European countries on the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the nations. The congratulatory messages were released on Monday.

Xi said the six countries are among those that established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China the soonest following its founding on Oct 1, 1949.

He commended the development of bilateral ties over the past seven decades and underlined the need for the countries to work with China on jointly building the Belt and Road as well as opportunities for cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries to bring their traditional friendship and cooperative relations to a new stage.

The six heads of state expressed hope that their countries would strengthen all-around exchanges and cooperation with China and value the traditional friendship with the country.

Premier Li Keqiang exchanged congratulatory messages with the prime ministers of the six countries.