Chinese premier calls for closer cooperation with Latvia

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday said China stands ready to strengthen its pragmatic cooperation with Latvia in various fields.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis in Tianjin on Wednesday, September 19, 2018. [Photo: gov.cn]

Li made the remarks during a meeting with Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis, who is in Tianjin attending the annual meeting of the Summer Davos Forum.

Noting Latvia is a good friend and partner of China in the Baltic region, Li said China will continue to respect the development path chosen by the Latvian side.

Li said the Chinese side is ready to further high-level contacts between the two countries and promote bilateral pragmatic cooperation in line with the market principle to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.

China is willing to work with Latvia to promote the construction of the Belt and Road, acting in the spirit of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits to strengthen transportation and logistics cooperation, promote interconnection between Asia and Europe and explore cooperation in a third market, he added.

Li also voiced the hope that the two countries will strengthen exchanges in areas such as culture, education, sports and health to facilitate personnel exchanges.

Vejonis spoke highly of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and innovations, saying he hoped the two countries could expand cooperation space in the fields such as infrastructure, transportation and logistics, technological innovation and sports.