Greek President Karolos Papoulias (1st
L, front) holds a welcoming ceremony in honor of Chinese President Hu
Jintao (2nd L, front) in Athens, capital of Greece, Nov. 24, 2008. (Xinhua
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
ATHENS, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese
President Hu Jintao and his Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias agreed on Monday
to lift the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership to a new height.
During his talks with Papoulias, Hu first thanked
Greece for its support for the Beijing Olympic Games and the Paralympics. The
Greek side also rendered support for Beijing in the torch lighting and relay, he
added.
Sino-Greek relations now stand on a new historical
starting point and are faced with broader prospects, the Chinese president said.
In recent years, China and Greece have seen rapid
growth in two-way trade and bilateral cooperation in sea transportation has
entered a new era, he added.
In 2007, their two-way trade stood at 3.4 billion
U.S. dollars, and in the first seven months of this year it reached 2.4 billion
dollars.
China is willing to import more Greek commodities
that cater to its market and will encourage competent Chinese enterprises to
invest in Greece, Hu said.
China will also seize opportunities to work together
with the Greek side in harbor and port construction to enhance bilateral
cooperation in sea transportation, he added.
China will also promote bilateral cooperation in
energy, environmental protection and tourism, Hu said.
To further bilateral ties, Hu called for efforts to
enhance political mutual trust, maintain high-level contacts and expand
non-governmental exchanges.
The Chinese leader expressed hope that Greece will
continue to play an active role in advancing China-Europe ties in the framework
of the European Union.
Hu suggested that the two sides expand culture
exchanges to deepen the friendship between the two peoples.
The two countries, both boasting long ancient
civilizations, should draw on the useful experiences of "the Year of Greek
Culture" and their cooperation during the Beijing Olympiad and carry out
cultural exchanges of various forms by making good use of their rich cultural
resources.
On multilateral cooperation, Hu said that China is
ready to enhance communication and coordination with Greece within multilateral
organizations such as the United Nations on major international issues including
climate change, environmental protection, sustained development and hotspot
areas.
Papoulias said he was pleased to see that Athens and
Beijing hosted the two first Olympiads in the new century.
It's "encouraging" that China will continue to take
measures to achieve trade balance with Greece, he said.
During the talks, Hu also briefed Papoulias on the
G20 summit on financial markets and the world economy held in Washington and
measures adopted by the Chinese government to boost domestic demand.
Papoulias said that Greece has always followed
closely China's development and its role in the international arena.
China's stance expounded by Hu at the G20 summit
showed "China's willingness to tackle the financial crisis along with the
international community," he said.
Papoulias briefed Hu on the situation in the West
Balkan region.
Hu said he hoped countries in the region will, from
the long-term interest of their national development, address issues left by
history through patient dialogues and build a West Balkan region of lasting
stability, prosperity and development.
Greece is the last leg of President Hu's five-nation
trip. Earlier, he had attended the G20 summit on financial markets and the world
economy in Washington and paid state visits to Costa Rica, Cuba and Peru, where
he also attended the Economic Leaders' Informal Meeting of the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
