On October 20, the 4th Local Leaders Meeting of China-Central and East European Countries （CEEC）, sponsored by the China-CEEC Association of Governors of Provinces and Regions, China-CEEC Secretariat and Ministry of Affairs of Bulgarian EU presidency, co-organized by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and Sofia Region, was held successfully in Sofia, capital of Bulgaria. Mr. Li Keqiang, Premier of State Council, sent congratulatory letter to the meeting. Mr. Boyko Borisov, Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Mr. Cao Jianming, Vice-Chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC),  Mr. Emil Karanikolov, Minister of Economy of Bulgaria, Mme. Li Xiaolin, President of CPAFFC, attended the meeting and delivered speeches respectively at the opening ceremony. Mme. Pavlova, Minister of Affairs of Bulgarian EU Presidency, presided over the opening ceremony.

Chinese leaders from 14 provinces and municipalities including Mr. Tang Yijun, Governor of Liaoning Province, Mr. Xia Yanjun, Vice Governor of Hebei Province, Mr. Shang Binyi, Vice-Chairman of Tianjing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Mr. Ma Qiulin, Vice Governor of Jiangsu Province, Mr. Zhao Jiajun, Vice-Chairman of Shangdong Provincial Committee of CPPCC, Mr. He Jingping, Vice Governor of Henan Province, Mr. Li Jun, Deputy Secretary of Communist Party of China (CPC) Hainan Provincial Committee, Mr. Shen Jinqiang, Deputy Director-General of Standing Committee of Chongqing Provincial People’s Congress, Mr. Sun Dongsheng, Vice Governor of Heilongjiang Province, Mr. Xu Xinrong, the Memeber of the Standing Committee of Communist Party of China (CPC) Shaanxi Provincial Committee and the Secretary of Communist Party of China Yan’an Municipal Committee, Mr. Yang Fengchun, Vice Governor of Qinghai Province, and several local leaders from CEECs attended the meeting.

President Li XiaoLin said in her speech, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and CPAFFC actively promoted “16+1” local cooperation in recent years, which led to make great achievements in the economy and trade, investment, infrastructure, finance, tourism, education, agriculture, humanities, local cooperation and other fields. So far, 165 pairs of provinces and cities between China and CEEC have been twinned. The friendship provinces or cities between the two sides maintain an increasing growth momentum, with a sound development in both quantity and quality. CPAFFC and Ningbo Municipal Government had jointly established and held two sessions of China and CEEC 16+1 Mayor Forum. The local cooperation between China and CEEC had become fresh impetus for the development of the cooperation between China and CEEC.

During the meeting, the local leaders and the representatives from China and CEEC exchanged views and countermeasures as well as experience on how to further deepen the development of “16+1” cooperation and expand the local cooperation and exchanges under the framework of the local cooperation between China and CEEC. After the meeting, the Fourth Working Group Meeting of China and CEEC Governors Federation, the China and CEEC SMEs Matchmaking Event 2017, and Art Performance from China and Bulgaria were held.

Photographed by Feng Miao