BELGRADE, Dec. 17 -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang were in Belgrade attending the third leaders' meeting of China and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries on Tuesday.

CEE countries enjoy a profound traditional friendship and a long history of cooperation with China, and have huge potential for economic development.

Under new circumstances, especially facing the international financial crisis starting in 2008, China and CEE countries have shown strong willingness to promote mutual understanding and strengthen economic and trade cooperation.

The first China-CEE leaders' meeting was held on April 26, 2012, in the Polish capital of Warsaw, and was attended by then Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and leaders from all the 16 CEE countries.

The leaders agreed to view relations with one another from a strategic height and long-term prospective. They also agreed to develop future-oriented friendly partnerships based on equality, mutual respect and benefit.

Wen put forward 12 measures to enhance relations with CEE countries. He stressed that China's bid to strengthen ties with CEE countries was an important part of effort to boost China-Europe relations and conformed to the interests of both sides.

On Nov. 26, 2013, Li attended the second China-CEE leaders' meeting in the Romanian capital of Bucharest.

China and CEE countries issued an action guideline and pledged to expand investment and boost infrastructure collaboration.

The two sides also agreed to expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges, strengthen communication and coordination on global and regional affairs and broaden common interests.

CEE countries include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.