Serbian leader to make official visit this week

Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic will pay an official visit to China from Wednesday to Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian announced.

This is the first China visit by Dacic in more than three years. He paid an official visit to China in December 2016.

The timing of the visit shows the support by the Serbian government and its people to China, Zhao said, as China is fighting the novel coronavirus.

The visit will help implement the important consensus reached by the two countries' leaders, deepen mutual political trust and promote pragmatic cooperation, Zhao said.

Serbia is the first Central and Eastern European country to have built a comprehensive strategic partnership with China.

China hopes to promote sustained and healthy development of bilateral ties within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and cooperation between China and CEE countries, Zhao said.