PHOTO: Xinhua. Premier Li Keqiang (9th L) attends the eighth leaders' meeting of China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) in Dubrovnik, Croatia, April 12, 2019.
Leaders of 18 countries gathered in Dubrovnik, Croatia to participate in the 8th Summit of China-Central and Eastern European Countries (China-CEEC) from April 11 to 12.
The leaders agreed to the Dubrovnik Guidelines for Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries. According to the guidelines, the participants underscored that the China-CEEC cooperation constitutes an important part of Europe-China relationship and complements the comprehensive strategic partnership between the European Union (EU) and China. The participants also recognized the importance of the Belt and Road Initiative and the EU Strategy on Connecting Europe and Asia, and expressed their willingness to conduct cooperation using the opportunities provided by the initiative and the strategy.
The Dubrovnik Guidelines touched upon issues of cooperation in railway projects including the China-Europe Land Sea Express Line, logistics hubs, Customs Information Center, and foreign investment in CEEC.
Also during the 8th China-CEEC, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras joined the CEEC as the 18th member. Greece has been an official observer of the platform since the 4th China-CEEC summit in Suzhou in 2015.
The 16+1 cooperation between sixteen Central and Eastern European Countries and China (CEEC and China) started in 2011 as a Chinese government’s initiative aimed at promoting business and investment relations between those seventeen countries within the framework of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative. The CEEC includes 11 EU member states (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia) and 5 non-EU countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia). Greece became the 18th member since the 8th China-CEEC Summit.
PHOTO: Xinhua/Cai Guodong. Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev (R) and his visiting Kazakhstan's counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev exchange documents in Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, on April 15, 2019. The presidents of the two central Asian nations of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have agreed in Tashkent on Monday to boost trade and economic cooperation, avoid double taxation, cooperate in air defense, and develop cultural ties.
The presidents of the two central Asian nations of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have agreed in Tashkent on Monday to boost trade and economic cooperation, avoid double taxation, cooperate in air defense, and develop cultural ties.
Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and his visiting Kazakhstan's counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told reporters following their talks that two neighboring countries plan to raise trade turnover from the current 3 billion U.S. dollars to 5 billion U.S. dollars by the end of 2020.
The heads of state noted in a joint statement that the talks were held in the spirit of openness and the entire agenda of cooperation was thoroughly discussed, and mutually beneficial agreements were reached.
The documents signed as the result of talks also included fighting illegal migration, protection of the rights of migrant workers in both countries.
An air defense cooperation agreement between the two countries included accepting each other's military aircraft at Uzbek and Kazakh airports, providing technical support and safeguarding.
Both presidents also attended the opening of the Year of Kazakhstan in Uzbekistan aimed to develop cultural ties.
BY MSEAP Cyber Secretariat (mseap@assembly.go.kr) |
