Vucic meets with China's Xi

BEIJING - At a meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Serbia and China were iron-clad friends and that the level of their bilateral trade was higher than ever, and that an initiative for global governance, proposed by the Chinese leadership, was a good concept Serbia would always support.

Vucic said Serbia saw China as a sincere friend and that China and its president had stood with Serbia in times that had been difficult economically, medically and in terms of public health, as well as politically.

"Serbia can never and will never forget that. Thank you very much for the fact that our bilateral trade and our services exchange have never been higher in our history, thanks to your initiatives and a FTA," Vucic said.

He said that Serbia, in collaboration with Chinese partners, had completed its stretch of a Belgrade-Budapest high-speed rail line that would be opened to traffic in 15 days.

"Thank you also for the HBIS investment in the Smederevo steel mill, thank you for Zijin coming to the east of Serbia and literally safeguarding that part of our country. Thank you for the numerous investments," Vucic said, asking Xi to help Serbia secure more Chinese investments in the future.

He also said Wednesday's Victory Day parade in Beijing had been impressive, leaving a huge impression around the world, including in Serbia.

In an Instagram post about the meeting with Xi, Vucic thanked the Chinese leader for a cordial welcome and "the exceptional hospitality, sincere friendship and the support continuously provided by China to our people and our country."

At the beginning of the meeting, Xi said that, sharing the iron-clad friendship with Serbia, China supported Serbia's efforts to maintain national unity, interests and social stability.

"We want to work with you to advance these relations further," he told Vucic.