Li began his Europe tour in Berlin, where he arrived on Oct 9. While there, he met German Chancellor Angela Merkel as part of the third Sino-German inter-governmental consultation. Germany is the only country with which China has agreed on this format of extensive exchange. China and Germany released a comprehensive action plan, committed to promoting growth through reform and innovation. The plan aims to enhance the competitiveness of both countries. Li and Merkel also witnessed the signing of deals worth over 18 billion US dollars in trade, investment and technological cooperation.

The second stop on his tour was Russia, where the Chinese Premier met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Premier Li also met with his counterpart Dmitry Medvedev as part of the 19th China-Russia Prime Ministers’ Regular Meeting. Li and Medvedev also witnessed the signing of 38 agreements, that besides finance, also cover vast areas of trade such as nuclear energy, communication, tourism, and transportation. Both sides agreed that China will help Russia build a high-speed railway connecting Kazan and Moscow.

The highlight of Li’s stay in Italy, his last stop in Europe, was the signing of deals worth 8 billion Euros between Chinese and Italian companies on Tuesday. Li attended and delivered a speech at the Asia-Europe Meeting in Milan. He also met with several European and Asian leaders at the meeting.