BEIJING, Oct. 18 -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's just-concluded visit to Germany, Russia and Italy proves to be a successful tour injecting vigor and vitality into the development of China-Europe relations.

The visit ended on Saturday, highlighting innovation and practical cooperation, saw multi-billion-dollar deals and concrete roadmaps for future cooperation between China and the three countries.

STRENGTHENED PARTNERSHIP

Li's visit in Germany, the major European economic powerhouse and a vital member of the European Union, featured intensive talks and multiple deals on innovation cooperation between the two countries.

Li and German Chancellor Angela Merkel co-chaired the third round of China-Germany governmental consultations and agreed to lift their countries' all-around strategic partnership to a higher level.

They endorsed a comprehensive program of action for strengthening bilateral cooperation, which Li said lays out a strategic blueprint for the two countries to deepen their cooperation in various fields in the next five to 10 years.

On the economic front, the document said China and Germany are committed to reaching a China-EU investment agreement with high targets, which will serve as the basis for negotiations for a China-EU free trade agreement in the future.

During Li's visit, China and Germany inked 18.1 billion U.S. dollars worth of trade, investment and technological cooperation deals.

During his stay in Moscow, Li and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, witnessed the signing of about 40 agreements after holding the 19th China-Russia Prime Ministers' Regular Meeting.

A local currency swap deal worth 150 billion yuan (24.4 billion U.S. dollars) between the central banks of China and Russia was among the documents signed, read a statement issued by the People's Bank of China.

China would like to enhance cooperation with Russia on major investment projects in such fields as mining, chemical industry, agriculture and infrastructure construction, Li said in his talks with Medvedev.

China is also ready to advance the establishment of a Eurasian high-speed transport corridor linking Beijing and Moscow, Li said, adding that the current priority should be the high-speed railway between Moscow and Kazan.

Meanwhile, China will deepen cooperation with Russia in nuclear power and energy in an integrated way that covers upstream, midstream and downstream industries, the Chinese premier said.

In Rome, Chinese and Italian companies signed deals worth 8 billion euros (more than 10 billion dollars), a highlight of Li's visit to Italy.

Appearing together with his Italian counterpart, Matteo Renzi, at an event attended by members of the Chinese-Italian committee of entrepreneurs and other businesspeople from the two countries, Li said the deals, mainly covering two-way investment and technological and financial cooperation, have gone beyond the traditional buy-and-sell model to demonstrate high-level coordination between the two countries.

HIGHLIGHTING INNOVATION COOPERATION

Innovation cooperation is another highlight of Li's three-nation Europe tour.

China and Germany agreed to deepen innovation cooperation in industry, urbanization, agriculture and other fields.

They agreed to expand dialogue within the framework of the bilateral innovation policy platform, which would be used to enhance mutual understanding of each other's national innovation systems, promote two-way investment in research and development, and strengthen cooperation on special future-oriented issues and projects.

The fourth China-Germany innovation policy platform meeting, to be held in the first half of 2015 in Berlin, will be an important milestone, says a program of action endorsed by the two sides.

The importance of innovation was also observed by the German side. Merkel said prioritizing innovation cooperation will vigorously push forward the development of bilateral ties in the future.

In Moscow, the Chinese premier attended an international forum themed on innovation, saying that as economic globalization and informatization advance, all countries need to work together to achieve multiplication of knowledge and value through innovation cooperation.

"We need to open up to, cooperate and share with each other to achieve such innovation," Li said.

On China, he said the country has opened itself to the outside world and kept on raising the degree and level of its opening-up, which in return promotes reform and enhances competitiveness and the capacity of innovation.

"China always needs to learn from other countries and bring in advanced technologies and management know-how," Li said.

In the Italian city of Milan, Li told a conference under the framework of the China-Italy innovation week program that China is willing to enhance innovation cooperation with Italy in areas including science and technology, industrial design and manufacturing.

He noted that the two countries signed a series of cooperation deals during his visit, with science and technology innovation being an important part.

Through concerted efforts, innovation cooperation between China and Italy will make greater contribution to the economic and social development of the two great civilizations, Li said.