State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Miroslav Lajčák of Slovakia, who was in China for the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on April 24.

Wang Yi said that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Slovakia, and bilateral relations are facing new opportunities for development. In recent years, through the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and the in-depth participation in cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries, China and Slovakia have made great strides in exchanges and cooperation in various fields. Not long ago, Premier Li Keqiang and your Prime Minister held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 8th Summit between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC), charting the course of joint efforts for the development of bilateral relations in the next stage. China and Slovakia enjoy a profound and traditional friendship. The Chinese side regards the Slovakian side as an important partner in the Central and Eastern Europe and the European Union (EU), and is willing to promote bilateral cooperation on the basis of mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit, and win-win results. The two sides should make joint efforts to seize the opportunity to inherit the past and usher in the future, tap into the potential of bilateral cooperation, advance exchanges at all levels, and jointly promote China-EU and China-CEEC cooperation. The Chinese side appreciates the Slovakian side’s positive attitude towards its participation in the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and believes that the cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative will provide new impetus for China-Slovakia cooperation.

Miroslav Lajčák said that the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation hosted by the Chinese side has further demonstrated China’s determination to safeguard world peace and promote international economic cooperation. Slovakia attaches great importance to developing its relations with China and will adhere to the one-China policy and safeguard the political basis of bilateral relations. The Slovakian side is willing to take the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation with the Chinese side in politics, economy, trade, investment, culture, science and technology, education, and other fields under the cooperative framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, and to learn from China’s development experience.