Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev (R) meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Sofia, Oct. 15, 2015. (Xinhua/Pei Yingbo)
SOFIA, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday called for more efforts to push forward cooperation with countries in central and eastern Europe.
China is willing to make joint efforts with the 16 countries in the region to achieve more substantive results in cooperation, Wang said at a joint press conference with his Bulgarian counterpart Daniel Mitov.
Wang said China's cooperation with the 16 countries, dubbed 16+1, is based on the practical needs in their national economic development.
Their cooperation will help enhance the international status of the 16 countries while strengthening their cohesion and unity.
The 16+1 cooperation will also contribute to a more balanced sub-regional development in Europe, and help advance the process of European integration, Wang said.
