Wen calls for deepening ties with Central, Eastern Europe

WARSAW - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Thursday called for deepening the friendly relations between China and Central and Eastern European countries and upgrading the level of bilateral practical cooperation.

Wen spoke at the opening of an economic forum that gathered nearly 1,000 participants from China, Poland and other Central and Eastern European countries.

The two sides should enlarge their cooperation scale, expand their cooperation field, perfect the cooperation mechanism and lay a solid foundation for cooperation, Wen said.

The premier said China is ready to make joint efforts with Central and Eastern European countries to expand market openness with each other and strive to promote bilateral trade volume to $100 billion by 2015.

The two sides will carry out all-dimensional cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, tourism and other fields, Wen said.

It is necessary for the two sides to hold economic and trade forums and meetings of state leaders regularly, the premier said.

China will set up a China-Central and Eastern European Countries' Cooperation Secretariat that will be in charge of communication and coordination, he said.

China proposes hosting a cultural cooperation forum between China and Central and Eastern Europe next year and holding more cultural festivals in each other, Wen said.

The premier also proposed strengthening dialogue on educational policy and encouraged provinces and cities with friendly ties to each other to make a full play of their advantages to boost local cooperation with each other.

Wen said that although the international economic situation has improved since the start of this year, the foundation for economic recovery remains fragile and uncertain.

It was in the fundamental interests of both China and Central and Eastern Europe to jointly meet the challenges, Wen said.

Wen started his official visit to Poland on Wednesday. Poland is the last leg of his four-nation Europe tour. He has visited Iceland and Sweden and attended the opening ceremony of the Hannover Fair in Germany.