China, Lithuania to enhance practical cooperation

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Lithuania's Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis in Dubrovnik, Croatia, April 12, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

DUBROVNIK, Croatia, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Lithuania's Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis here Friday, calling for more practical cooperation between the two countries.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the eighth leaders' meeting between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) at the southern Croatian coastal city of Dubrovnik.

Commending the solid political mutual trust and the broad cooperation prospect between the two countries, Li said China and Lithuania are friendly nations and that the bilateral ties have maintained positive development momentum since the establishment of diplomatic relations.

He said China and Lithuania have deepened the alignment between the two countries' development strategies within the China-CEEC cooperation framework, and that the bilateral practical cooperation has yielded abundant achievements.

China is willing to keep promoting bilateral cooperation in accordance with market principles and European Union (EU) rules, and import more of the European country's competitive products, so as to push forward bilateral ties to a new stage, said the premier.

Skvernelis said Lithuania attaches great importance to its relations with China, adding that the two sides enjoy sound cooperation within the frameworks of the China-CEEC cooperation and the China-EU relations.

Lithuania stands ready to join China in deepening their practical cooperation, and exploring cooperation in finance and infrastructure, as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges, he said.

He also said that Lithuania wants to export to China more of its competitive agricultural and livestock products for greater achievements in bilateral ties.