Slovakia

Note: This column mainly includes countries along the Belt and Road and countries that have signed cooperation agreements with China on Belt and Road Initiative.

In 2013, the friendly relations and cooperation between the People's Republic of China and the Slovak Republic made steady progress with close exchanges at all levels and deepening friendship.

The two countries maintained frequent high-level exchanges. In February, Vice Premier Hui Liangyu visited Slovakia. In September, NPC Chairman Zhang Dejiang paid an official good-will visit to Slovakia. He met with President Ivan Gasparovic and Prime Minister Robert Fico and held talks with Speaker of the National Council Pavol Paska. In November, Premier Li met with Prime Minister Fico while attending the Meeting of Heads of Government of China and Central and Eastern European (CEE) Countries in Bucharest, Romania. In July, Lubomir Vazny, Deputy Prime Minister for Investments of Slovakia, visited China.

The two countries maintained exchanges in various areas and achieved fruitful results in their practical cooperation. By 2013, Slovakia's export to and trade surplus with China was the largest among CEE countries. In September, Peter Burian, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, led a delegation to China for the tenth session of Sino- Slovak Intergovernmental Joint Commission of Economic Cooperation. He Xian, Vice Minister of Human Resources and Social Security, and Niu Dun, Vice Minister of Agriculture, visited Slovakia respectively. The senior delegation of the Chinese People's Armed Police Force, a delegation from Hubei Province and several other delegations at the provincial or municipal level also visited Slovakia. The Supreme Court of Slovakia invited Chinese judges to Slovakia for training. An exhibition of traditional Chinese painting entitled "Art Dialogue Between China and Europe" was held and the China Youth National Orchestra also staged performances in Slovakia. The two countries successfully held the sixth session of the Sino-Slovak Joint Commission of Cooperation in Science and Technology. By 2013, the two sides had established three pairs of sister provinces/ states or cities.

Slovakia cooperated with China under the framework of Cooperation between China and CEE Countries. It sent senior officials from the local and central governments to China for the Local Leaders' Meeting of China and CEE Countries, economic and trade forums, cultural forums, highlevel dialogues on education and other important events.