China, Bulgaria mark anniversary of BRI cooperation

SOFIA, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria and China held a forum here on Monday to commemorate the 10th anniversary of their cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, signing 17 new agreements aimed at turning long-standing political goodwill into a practical partnership.

The forum was co-hosted by the China NGO Network for International Exchanges and the Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria, and drew nearly 300 participants from various sectors of both countries.

Atanas Zafirov, Bulgaria's deputy prime minister, told the forum that the new agreements between Bulgarian and Chinese institutions were meant to give "practical dimensions" to the dialogue between the two countries, which backed the Belt and Road framework with a memorandum of understanding in 2015.

"Today's event is a clear sign of the consistent development of our bilateral relations and our aspiration to deepen them," Zafirof said. "We highly value the efforts of the People's Republic of China for the development of bilateral relations and for promoting real projects that bring value both to the region and to Europe as a whole."

Chinese Ambassador to Bulgaria Dai Qingli recalled 76 years of diplomatic relations and a decade of joint Belt and Road cooperation. She noted that Bulgaria was the second country in the world to recognise the People's Republic of China, highlighting that "traditional friendship is the most valuable asset in our bilateral relations."

"The urgent task before us is how to transform traditional friendship into tangible results of cooperation, and truly enhance the sense of gain and satisfaction of the peoples of both countries," she said.

The event began with a cultural exhibition showcasing calligraphy, traditional costumes, intangible heritage, and a tasting of Chinese and Bulgarian beverages.

Chinese and Bulgarian delegates also held working-group talks on economic, cultural and health cooperation to map out priorities for the next stage of Belt and Road collaboration.