Montenegro wants more cooperation with China: foreign minister
Montenegro is ready to intensify its cooperation with China under the cooperative mechanism between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC), Foreign Minister Djordje Radulovic has said.
Radulovic, who assumed duty in the newly-elected government earlier this month, made the remarks on Monday while meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Montenegro Liu Jin in the capital of Podgorica, according to a foreign ministry press release.
Noting that Montenegro has been an active participant within the cooperative mechanism between China and the CEEC, or the "17+1 cooperation", Radulovic stressed the importance of promoting China-Montenegro economic relations.
China's initiative to enhance cooperation with the CEE countries "is very important for intensifying further activities in the economic field," said the foreign minister.
It is "an excellent platform for the realization of projects and investments, as well as for a more active participation of Montenegro on the Chinese market," Radulovic added.
He also thanked China for its support to Montenegro's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ambassador Liu, for his part, said that bilateral relations between China and Montenegro have been growing continuously in recent years under the Belt and Road Initiative and the "17+1 cooperation" mechanism, and their pragmatic cooperation has yielded fruitful results.
For the two countries, which enjoy profound traditional friendship and sound mutual political trust, there is still great room for cooperation in such areas as economy, culture, tourism and agriculture, Liu said.
Noting that next year marks the 15th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Montenegro, the ambassador urged the two sides to take it as an opportunity and make joint efforts to further promote their friendly relations for the benefit of the two peoples.
They also discussed the "importance of good cooperation at the multilateral level," according to the press release.
