BUCHAREST, Sept. 25 -- China and Romania have agreed to expand their pragmatic cooperation during a visit by Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli to the Central Eastern European country.

The two countries have always respected each other's development road and attached great importance to each other's core interests and major concerns ever since they forged diplomatic ties 65 years ago, said Zhang while meeting Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Tuesday in New York on the sideline of the UN climate change summit.

Bilateral ties have enjoyed a solid political foundation, said Zhang.

He said the exchange of visits by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Ponta in the past year had fully manifested the speciality and high-level development of their relations.

Saying bilateral ties have entered a new stage, Zhang urged the two sides to work out a new road map to emphasize the direction and highlights in the future development of ties.

Efforts should be made to expand pragmatic cooperation and explore cooperation potentials in bilateral ties, he added.

Ponta hailed the solid foundation of the Romanian-Chinese relations, saying Romania had attached great importance to cooperation with China and more efforts would be made to enhance their links.

During talks with First Deputy Prime Minister Liviu Dragnea on Thursday in Bucharest, Zhang said this year marked the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Romania and the 10th anniversary of their comprehensive friendly and cooperative partnership.

China would like to work hard together with Romania to take the bilateral friendly ties and mutual-beneficial cooperation to a new height, the Chinese vice premier said.

Zhang lauded the China-Romania energy cooperation in carbon-, hydro- and nuclear-electricity as achieving important progress.

He called for efforts to promote cooperation between the two countries in infrastructure construction, such as in high-way and high-speed rail building.

Zhang also encouraged cooperation between enterprises focusing on farm products and called for more farm product export from Romania to China.

He urged both sides to boost exchanges and cooperation in education, between the young people, and in celebrating the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties, to enhance mutual understanding.P On the same day, Zhang also met with Romanian Deputy Prime Minister Gabriel Oprea and President of the Chamber of Deputies Valeriu Stefan Zgonea.

The Romanian leaders expressed hopes to further deepen cooperation with China in energy, communication, agriculture and education. They pledged that Romania would play an active role to boost Europe-China relations as well as cooperation between Central and Eastern European countries and China.

The two sides also exchanged views on each other's growth strategies, investment environment, urbanization, rural area development and environment protection.

When meeting Zgonea, the Chinese vice premier said his visit to Romania offered him a chance to get a personal experience of the friendliness of the Romanian people toward China.

He said China would like to work with Romania to enhance exchanges and cooperation between their legislatures.

Zgonea said Romania had always been and would remain a trust-worthy friend of China, vowing to further the cooperation between the Romanian and Chinese legislatures to make greater contribution to bilateral friendly ties, and trade and economic cooperation.