Minister Han Changfu met with his counterparts from Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries respectively in Bucharest, Romania on Oct.29, 2014. At each meeting, the two sides exchanged views on future agricultural cooperation and issues of common concern.
The five ministers are: Mr. Marek Sawicki, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland; Mr. Dimitar Grekov, Minister of Agriculture and Food of Bulgaria; Mr. Dejan ？idan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry & Food of Slovenia; Mr. Daniel Constantin, Deputy Prime Minister and Agriculture Minister of Romania; and Mr. Mihail Cvetkov, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy of Macedonia. They got together for the 9th Agro-trade and Economic Cooperation Forum between China and CEE countries.
Minister Han meets Polish Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
Minister Han meets Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry & Food
Minister Han meets Romanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture
At the meetings, ministers from CEE countries briefed on respective strengths of their countries in agriculture, and expressed their strong willingness to intensify agricultural cooperation with China.
Polish Minister stated that the Polish side highly values agricultural cooperation with China and created a position of Counsellor for agricultural affairs at the Polish Embassy in China. He welcomed Chinese delegation to visit Poland to tap cooperation opportunities, and hoped to cement cooperation with China in investment, trade and S&T. Bulgarian Minister thanked the Chinese side for supporting the establishment of the executive body of the Association for the Promotion of Agricultural Cooperation between China and CEE Countries in Bulgaria, and welcomed Chinese enterprises to invest in Bulgaria. Romanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture expressed appreciation to China for its support to the Forum and hoped to spur sustained growth in agricultural trade and investment between China and Romania. The other ministers also said they are committed to further agricultural cooperation with China.
Minister Han congratulated on the great success of the Forum, which is held in a CEE country for the first time, and also thanked all ministers for their support to this event. He stressed that agricultural cooperation is a major component of China-CEE (16+1) cooperation and the successful convening of the 9th Forum initiated a new stage for China-CEE agricultural cooperation.
China stands ready to work with CEE countries to intensify practical cooperation in agricultural S&T, trade and investment and to push forward sustainable development of agriculture in China and CEE countries through innovative approaches and diversified activities in more extensive areas.
At the meeting between Minister Han and Bulgarian Minister, they also signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the executive body of the Association for the Promotion of Agricultural Cooperation between China and CEE Countries in Bulgaria.