State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan held talks in Zagreb with Croatian President Stjepan Mesic and Prime Minister Ivo Sanader separately on Friday with both sides pledging to further boost bilateral ties.

 

Tang said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Croatia 14 years ago, the two countries have continuously made positive achievements in exchanges and cooperation in politics, economy and trade, among other fields.

 

"Bilateral relationship entered a new phase of development with the establishment of the comprehensive partnership of cooperation between the two countries last year," he said.

 

China appreciates Croatia's active efforts to develop Sino-Croatian relations and its adherence to the one-China policy, said Tang.

 

China is willing to work together with Croatia to push forward cooperation in various fields including economy and trade, education, culture, agriculture, public health and tourism, he noted.

 

Mesic told Tang that the Croatian-Chinese relations have developed smoothly and both countries still have great potential to enhance cooperation in economy and trade.

 

"Croatia is willing to maintain high-level exchanges with China to deepen mutual understanding, and broaden the friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation," he said, adding that his country would abide by the one-China policy.

 

During the meeting with Tang, Prime Minister Sanader said Croatia appreciates China's active role in international affairs and is grateful for China's "precious support" over the years.

 

Bilateral economic and trade cooperation has been fruitful and China's rapid development has provided more opportunities for both sides to expand such cooperation, said Sanader.

 

Speaking at a press conference after meeting with Croatian Vice Prime Minister Damir Polancec, Tang said the situation in the western Balkan region continues to ease up and that countries in the region have reached a consensus on the need to seek peace, stability and development, and set economic development as their core task.

 

The changes in the regional situation are the results of joint efforts by all countries in the region and conform to the development trend of the international situation and the common interests of all peoples in the region, said the senior Chinese official.

 

He stressed that China and countries in the region are facing new opportunities and broad prospects for developing bilateral relations.

 

"We hope both sides will stand at a new height and a new starting point to widen our thinking for improving cooperation, explore new fields of cooperation, enrich the contents of cooperation and seek common development," he noted.

 

China appreciates and supports efforts by countries in the region to pursue the policy of maintaining good-neighborly relations, safeguarding regional stability, and promoting common development, Tang said.

 

China maintains that questions left over by history in the region should be resolved on the basis of respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations in the region, guaranteeing the equal rights of all nations and peoples, seriously implementing relevant UN resolutions, and conducting dialogues, Tang said.

 

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China is ready to continuously make positive contributions to the realization of lasting peace and stability in the region, he said.

 

(Xinhua News Agency September 2, 2006)