BEIJING — China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) will continue to deepen cooperation in science, technology and innovation for sustainable development, said participants of a conference held on the sidelines of the ongoing 2021 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) in Beijing.

China's Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang said at the fifth China-CEEC Conference on Innovation Cooperation that China-CEEC cooperation has been fruitful in vaccine research and development, expert exchanges and epidemic prevention material assistance, among other areas.

Wang noted that China's scientific and technological innovation is carried out in an open environment, and the country is ready to work with CEEC to continue to conduct scientific and technological exchanges in response to COVID-19.

Effective cooperation in scientific research has been carried out among the countries. Laszlo Palkovics, Hungary's minister for innovation and technology, said that more than 100 Hungarian-Chinese bilateral researcher mobility projects have been awarded a grant, which has enabled Hungarian and Chinese researchers to successfully work together on projects of mutual interest in life and natural sciences, agriculture, food, environmental and energy technologies.

Ambassador of the Czech Republic to China Vladimir Tomsik said that the Czech Academy of Sciences has signed agreements with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the National Natural Science Foundation of China that allow mutual mobility of researchers, and the country would like to extend its range of partners in China.

Many participants noted the importance of cooperation in dealing with COVID-19 and expressed their willingness to join forces.

"Acknowledging the importance of the international scientific and technological cooperation at the stage of post COVID-19 recovery, Bulgaria is ready and willing to be an active member and a capable partner in the China-Central and Eastern European Countries initiative, said Nikolai Denkov, minister of education and science of Bulgaria.

"Today we must recognize the important role of science in pandemic response, economic recovery and post COVID-19 world in general," said Minister of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Ankica Gudeljevic. "We are committed to collaborating in science and technology research and development, with a view to addressing our common challenges and promoting sustainable economic development."

Themed "intelligence, health, and carbon neutrality," the 2021 ZGC Forum is scheduled from Sept 24 to 28 in Beijing. It hosts more than 60 events, including meetings, exhibitions, research achievement releases, competitions in cutting-edge fields, and technology trading.