Serbian Deputy PM: China is Serbia's partner and friend

File photo of Zorana Mihajlović [Photo: CRI]

China has a close and productive economic relations with Serbia, and China is Serbia's important partner and good friend, Zorana Mihajlović, deputy prime minister of Serbia and the minister of construction, transport and infrastructure, said in a recent interview with the People's Daily.

Serbia is the first country in Central and Eastern Europe to build a comprehensive strategic partnership with China, and the first European country to give visa-free treatment to Chinese nationals.

From bridge and power plants to highways and industrial parks, from sewage water treatment factories to culture, it is hard to find a field in which the two countries have not yet cooperated.

Compared with the tangible benefits of the construction projects and new jobs, the value of China's investment and technology assistance is hard to evaluate. It is deeply appreciated by Serbia, Ms. Mihajlović added. 

Chinese enterprises' investment in Serbia's infrastructure construction has exceeded €600 million (US$716 million), nearly half of the total investment in the country's infrastructure construction.

Zorana noted that Serbia is located in a strategically important position in Europe. The Belt and Road Initiative, as an importable componentof globalization, can tap into Serbia's development potential. She also expressed her hope that more and more Chinese tourists can visit Serbia.