Cooperation far outweighs differences between China and the European Union (EU), said Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a telephone conversation with Slovenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Anze Logar on Tuesday.
Wang said that China and Slovenia have witnessed sound development of bilateral ties, solid political mutual trust and strong economic complementarity.
Noting that the year of 2022 marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and that Beijing will hold the Winter Olympic Games in the same year, Wang said China and Slovenia, a major winter sports power in Europe, should strengthen cooperation on winter sports, so as to add luster to the 30th anniversary, and open up new prospects for bilateral relations.
The two countries have supported each other in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, which has further enriched the connotation of bilateral relations, he said.
China attaches great importance to Slovenia's need to purchase anti-epidemic materials from China, and will continue to provide all conveniences, Wang said, adding he believes that Slovenia will win a complete victory over the pandemic.
Wang said that China stands ready to work with all countries, including Slovenia, to jointly oppose politicizing the pandemic, promote the development of global public health, and build a community of health for all.
There is no conflict of fundamental interests between China and the EU, and cooperation far outweighs differences between the two sides, said Wang, noting that both China and the EU firmly support multilateralism, the central role of the United Nations in international affairs, and settling disputes by peaceful means.
Wang said that China and the EU should step up dialogue and exchanges and provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for enterprises of both sides in the spirit of equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.
Slovenia will assume the rotating presidency of the EU in the second half of next year. China expects Slovenia to take this opportunity to promote the process of European integration and greater development of China-EU relations and China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) cooperation, the Chinese foreign minister said.
Logar thanked China for providing anti-epidemic materials and purchasing convenience to Slovenia, and wished the Beijing Winter Olympics a complete success, saying that Slovenia is willing to plan activities with China to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
Slovenia will hold the rotating presidency of the EU next year, and hopes to take the opportunity of promoting the agenda of tackling climate change and protecting biodiversity to strengthen cooperation with China and push forward the EU-China comprehensive strategic partnership, said Logar.
The Slovenian top diplomat noted that China plays an important role in dealing with global problems, saying no global challenge can be met without China's participation.
Slovenia believes that Europe and China should adhere to the principle of mutual respect and manage differences in a constructive way. Slovenia has been committed to promoting China-CEEC cooperation, believing that this mechanism is a valuable opportunity for CEE countries to conduct mutually beneficial cooperation with China, and will also be conducive to promoting EU-China cooperation, Logar said.
Editor: Galia
