From May 25th to 29th, 2026, the 7th Meeting of Local Leaders of China and Central and Eastern European Countries and the Shandong International Friendly City Exchange Week 2026 were held in Jinan, Shandong Province, China. The event, themed "Walking Together into the Future," attracted more than 600 guests from China and over 40 countries.
Participants discussed new opportunities for cooperation in areas such as the digital economy, green energy, and modern agriculture. Several foreign politicians, in exclusive interviews with the China Media Group (CMG), praised the results of the cooperation mechanism between China and Central and Eastern European countries. They also highlighted China's development achievements and expressed interest in further strengthening friendly relations and practical cooperation.
Ivan Stoilkovic, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Inter-Ethnic Relations of North Macedonia, stated that local cooperation and people-to-people exchanges help to deepen and strengthen relations between China and North Macedonia. He also praised the opportunities presented by the Belt and Road Initiative.
According to Stoilkovic, North Macedonia is interested in further developing cooperation with China, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, advanced technologies, and modern agriculture. He expressed his hope that his country could utilize China's technological expertise and industrial know-how to improve the level of modernization of its domestic agriculture. He also stated that North Macedonia wants to promote greater access for its agricultural products to the Chinese market.
Marinko Čavara, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina, recalled that over the 31 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and China, bilateral relations have developed based on mutual respect and equality.
Čavara stated that both countries have significant potential for cooperation in the areas of new technologies and artificial intelligence. According to him, China is making significant breakthroughs in technological innovation and is rapidly developing in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and biomedicine. This development, he said, creates more opportunities for innovation, investment, and cooperation for businesses around the world.
"China is constantly achieving breakthroughs in technological innovation and rapid development in artificial intelligence, robotics, biomedicine, and other fields, which will bring more opportunities for innovation, investment, and cooperation for businesses around the world," said Čavara.
Mirsad Nurkovic, Deputy Speaker of the Montenegrin Parliament, praised the cooperation mechanism between China and Central and Eastern European countries. According to him, this inter-regional, pragmatic platform has created an important channel for coordination in the areas of trade and economics, as well as for the exchange of experiences between individual countries.
Nurkovic stated that, based on a long-standing friendship, both sides have practically supported economic and trade cooperation. He said that various bilateral and multilateral meetings have helped to create a development synergy. He also emphasized that infrastructure remains a key area of cooperation between Montenegro and China.
In the future, according to Nurkovic, important areas of bilateral cooperation also include tourism and the modernization of industrial capacities in northern Montenegro. He believes that these sectors can offer further opportunities for practical projects and strengthening mutual relations.
The meeting in Jinan, according to statements from participating politicians, confirmed that cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries remains an important platform for dialogue, economic projects, technological exchange, and the development of regional ties.
gnews.cz/CMG
Comments
Sign in · Sign up
Sign in or sign up to comment.
…