Montenegrin President Milatovic meets with Wang Yi

China News Service, Beijing, October 18. On October 17, local time, Montenegro President Milatovic met with Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Foreign Minister, in Cetinje.

Milatovic asked Wang Yi to convey his sincere greetings to President Xi Jinping and welcomed the Chinese foreign minister's first visit to Montenegro in history. Milatovic said that this year coincides with the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Montenegro and China, and this visit has important symbolic significance. I once studied in China and learned about China's economic and social operations and people's lifestyle. I also became more aware of the importance of cooperation with China. Currently, Black diplomacy focuses on joining the EU, but it also attaches great importance to relations with China. Montenegro firmly adheres to the one-China principle and is committed to friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation between Montenegro and China. In the past 20 years, Montenegro-China relations have achieved remarkable results in various fields, with infrastructure, economy, trade and tourism becoming the three key areas. The two prime ministers met in China this year and reached important consensus on further deepening cooperation. Montenegro looks forward to continuing political dialogue with China, deepening practical cooperation based on mutual respect, and bringing greater benefits to the two peoples.

Wang Yi conveyed President Xi Jinping’s cordial greetings to Milatovic. Wang Yi said that although China and Montenegro are far apart, the two countries have always respected each other and treated each other as equals, setting an example of friendly exchanges between countries of different sizes. China appreciates Mr. President's ability to understand China rationally and objectively and to actively develop relations with China. China has always maintained that all countries, big or small, are equal and pursues a foreign policy of partnership rather than alliance and dialogue rather than confrontation. China appreciates the Montenegrin government's firm adherence to the one-China principle, respects the path and governance model chosen by the Montenegrin people, and is willing to be a reliable and trustworthy good partner of Montenegro. China has carried out pragmatic cooperation with Montenegro with a sincere attitude and achieved tangible results. The North-South Expressway is Montenegro's century project, and both parties must complete the second phase of the project with high quality. Montenegro has unique tourism advantages and a historical tradition of fighting against fascism. China is helping to repair the Tara River Bridge in the famous movie "The Bridge" in former Yugoslavia. It is believed that more Chinese tourists will visit Yugoslavia. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Montenegro. The two sides should take this opportunity to summarize successful experiences, jointly negotiate to elevate bilateral relations to a higher level, open up new areas of cooperation, and build a better new 20 years.

Wang Yi said that China and the EU are comprehensive strategic partners, and China-EU relations are generally healthy and stable. China always believes that China and the EU are partners, not rivals. Differences on economic and trade issues arise from the continuous development of cooperation between the two sides and can be resolved through dialogue and should not affect the overall situation of China-EU relations. China understands Montenegro's efforts to join the EU and its choice to integrate into European integration, and believes that this process goes hand in hand with deepening cooperation with China. I believe that Montenegro will become another good friend of China in the EU after joining the EU, and I look forward to Montenegro playing a unique and important role in regional peace and stability and China-EU relations.

The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern such as the Ukraine crisis. Before the meeting, both sides visited a photo exhibition celebrating the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Montenegro.

During the visit, Wang Yi also met with Montenegrin Prime Minister Spajic and held talks with Montenegrin Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ibrahimovic. When Wang Yi arrived in Montenegro, Ibrahimovic went to his hotel to greet him.