Xi meets Serbian president

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who is in Beijing to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]

Since the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Serbia in 2016, bilateral cooperation in various fields has been advancing steadily, political mutual trust has been strengthened, and both sides have firmly supported each other's core interests, Xi said.

"Serbia is an important country in jointly building the Belt and Road, and the two sides should deepen mutually beneficial cooperation to better benefit the two peoples," Xi said.

Both sides should enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges and mutual learning, improve people-to-people ties, strengthen international cooperation in multilateral fields, jointly uphold multilateralism, and promote world peace and development, Xi said.

Vucic expressed congratulations on the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China, saying that China's development achievements provide Serbia with valuable reference.

Serbia firmly supports and actively participates in cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, which is bringing benefits to the people of Serbia and the rest of the world, Vucic said.

Major cooperation projects built with Chinese assistance have greatly promoted Serbia's economic development, he added.

As a staunch friend of China, Serbia will continue to maintain mutual understanding and support with China on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns, Vucic said.

After the meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents.