Euro-China Forum ends with calls for further dialogue

The Seventh Euro-China Forum ended Friday in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, as participants called for further dialogue and cooperation between China and Europe.

In the three-day forum entitled "Silk Road of the 21st century," nearly 200 politicians, academicians, economists from Europe and Asia discussed Sino-Europe relations and economic cooperation.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said China has made great achievements in its economic development and "Ukraine is willing to learn China's successful experiences and strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China."

China has just successfully hosted the 2008 Olympic Games and its scale and level was impressive, the president said in a message to the forum.

Addressing the forum, former French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius said that apart from economic cooperation, the Europeans and Chinese should enhance their cultural exchanges to know each other even better.

"The economic and trade relations is the core of the Europe- China cooperation. We, Europeans and Chinese, should seize every opportunity to smoothen out potential frictions and to bridge the gap between the intensification of our commercial relationship and the weakness of our intellectual exchanges. In this respect, the Euro-China Forum plays a crucial part. And its influence keeps growing." he said.

Fabius also noted that Europe in the past called China "a sleeping giant" and the giant is now waking up.

"The success of the Beijing Olympic Games showed China's vigor and enthusiasm," he said.

Chinese ambassador to Ukraine Zhou Li said that Ukraine is an important country in Europe and the Chinese government attaches great importance to developing relations with Ukraine and Europe.

The bilateral economic and trade relations between China and Ukraine have developed steadily in recent years, he said.

"I believe the friendly cooperative relations between China and Ukraine will see a more brilliant future thanks to bilateral joint efforts," Zhou Li said.

The non-governmental forum was initiated by China Europe International Business School to foster unofficial exchanges between the two sides of the Eurasian continent. The forum was first held in 2002 in Barcelona, Spain.

Source:Xinhua