Yugoslavia and China have signed a major deal to co-operate in the rebuilding of the Balkan nation's shattered telecoms systems, the Serb state television channel RTS reported Thursday in Belgrade.

The deal was signed Thursday in Beijing by the Yugoslav telecoms minister, Ivan Markovic, and the Chinese minister for the information industry, Wu Jichuan, the television report stated.

"The deal has enormous importance for the two countries, since it sets down the forms for future co-operation and brings the whole backing of China to our country," the report added.

Though the details of the agreement were not divulged, sources close to RTS revealed that China would help reinstall television transmitters that were knocked out by NATO's 11-week bombardment of Serbia last year.

Only two million Serbs are currently believed to be receiving RTS, compared to eight million before the bombing campaign began.

Future "mutually beneficial projects" were also mooted in the television reports, though once again no details were provided.

According to the report, Wu offered his "unconditional support" to Yugoslavia, and praised the country's "courage."

China was one of the few countries to support Belgrade during its conflict with NATO over the Kosovo region, though Thursday's deal was the first to be signed by the two countries since Serbia withdrew from the province.

(Xinhua)