During a meeting with Serbia and Montenegro Minister of Foreign Affairs Goran Svilanovic, Vice-President Zeng said the expansion of bilateral friendly, cooperative ties was in the fundamental interests of both countries and their people.

In order to maintain the continuity of the growth of bilateral ties, Zeng said, both sides should treasure and develop their traditional friendship and actively widen the areas of cooperation.

During the times of the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the vice-president recalled, the two countries and their people had already forged their profound friendship in long-term contacts.

The two sides scored the fruitful outcome in the growth of bilateral relations in compliance with the principles of mutual respect, full equality and mutual non-interference in each other?s internal affairs, he added.

Moreover, the Chinese side respects the choice of the people of Serbia and Montenegro in terms of their own road of development, Zeng said, thanking Serbia and Montenegro for its firm adherence to the one China policy.

Svilanovic said his country highly appreciates China's status as a big nation and admires its rapid economic growth. The new government of Serbia and Montenegro will continue to strengthen its relations with China, keep to the one China policy and strive to lift the level of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in such fields as politics and economy, he added.

(Xinhua News Agency April 19, 2003)