Vucic receives senior Chinese Communist party official

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday he had had an excellent meeting with Chinese Communist Party official Li Xiaoxin, with whom he discussed all topics of mutual interest with a view to advancing the excellent Serbia-China cooperation in all areas.

Li is a member of the party's Central Committee and heads the State Commission Office for Public Sector Reform.

"I pointed out that the Republic of Serbia is extremely proud of the exceptional relations, the steely friendship and the extremely good and intensive political dialogue at all levels, as well as of the overall cooperation with PR China, which we are deepening constantly through joint projects," Vucic wrote in a post on his buducnostsrbijeav Instagram account.

He added that they had discussed Serbia-China economic cooperation, which he noted was seeing dynamic development through implementation of numerous capital projects in the road and rail infrastructure and energy sectors and was accompanied by increasingly intensive investment cooperation, especially in mining, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy and the automotive industry.

Vucic also stressed the significance of a historic visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this year and said he was pleased to have had an opportunity to welcome him in Serbia again after nearly eight years.

He asked Li to convey his heartfelt greetings to Xi.

"Serbia is extremely grateful for the PR China's principled position on Kosovo-Metohija, as well as for its consistent support for the preservation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia, which is an issue of the utmost national importance for our country and our people," Vucic noted.

He added that support from friendly China and coordinated activities with the country in international organisations were of great significance for Serbia.