China is ready to make an across-the-board promotion of its friendly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation with Lithuania on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.
Visiting President Jiang Zemin Monday made the pledge in talks with Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus.
Jiang suggested that the governments of both countries support and encourage their enterprises to establish direct links and support an early negotiation concerning bilateral agreements on civil aviation transportation, cooperation between their custom houses and tourism sectors, which will further improve the legal basis for bilateral relations.
The Chinese president also proposed an expansion of bilateral exchanges in educational, cultural, media and other fields to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.
Jiang and Adamkus agreed that the two countries should strengthen consultation in dealing with international affairs.
Noting that bilateral relations have seen smooth development since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1991, Jiang stressed that mutual respect, non-interference and mutual benefit are key principles that have steered friendly and cooperative relations between China and Lithuania, two countries with differences in their social systems, cultural traditions and ideologies.
The Lithuanian president said Jiang's visit, the first state visit of a Chinese president to the Baltic country, will strongly push bilateral cooperation in every field and become a milestone in the history of Lithuania-China relations.
The two presidents Monday witnessed the signing of the agreement on extradition between China and Lithuania following their meeting.
Jiang Monday also met Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas and Arturas Paulauskas, chairman of the Lithuanian Parliament.
Jiang told Paulauskas that China welcomes more Lithuanian assemblymen to visit China and enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.
(China Daily June 18, 2002)
