In a move to bolster bilateral relations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar on Friday in Beijing. Both countries pledged to implement the important consensus reached by their leaders and push for steady, long-term growth of their strategic partnership.
Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, emphasized that the new orientation of the China-Slovakia strategic partnership injects strong impetus into cooperation across various fields and sends a positive signal to the world. “China appreciates Slovakia’s friendly policy toward China and its adherence to the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs,” Wang said. He noted that China and Slovakia share similar ideas and have mutual understanding and respect for each other’s core interests.
Highlighting the importance of a long-term and strategic perspective, Wang Yi stated that China is ready to work together with Slovakia to implement the important consensus reached by their leaders. The meeting underscored China’s commitment to fostering strong ties with Slovakia as part of its broader engagement with Europe.
Juraj Blanar expressed Slovakia’s readiness to firmly adhere to the one-China policy and looked forward to using the establishment of a strategic partnership as a new starting point to promote greater development of bilateral relations. “Slovakia will continue to support and deepen our ties with China,” Blanar said.
The two ministers also discussed international issues, including the Ukraine crisis. Blanar noted that Slovakia fully supports the six-point consensus proposed by China and Brazil on the political settlement of the crisis and is willing to work with all parties to achieve peace through dialogue and consultations.
Both sides expressed a willingness to fully utilize the inter-governmental cooperation mechanism under the strategic guidance of their leaders. They agreed to take advantage of China’s 15-day visa-free entry policy for Slovak citizens to deepen friendly exchanges between the two countries.
On China-Europe relations, Wang Yi remarked that China and Europe are partners rather than rivals. He expressed hope that Europe will adopt an objective and rational attitude toward China, working together for the steady and sound development of China-Europe relations.
Reference(s):
Wang Yi: China to push steady, long-term growth of ties with Slovakia
cgtn.com
