BEIJING, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday lauded the progress jointly made by China and Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) in the Belt and Road cooperation.

Xi made the remarks when delivering a keynote speech via video link at the China-CEEC Summit in Beijing.

Acting in an innovative and pioneering spirit, China and CEE countries have taken steps early on to explore the possibility of aligning cross-regional cooperation with Belt and Road cooperation, making Central and Eastern Europe the first region where all countries have signed agreements on Belt and Road cooperation, Xi said.