Chinese premier meets Macedonian PM

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski in Beijing, capital of China, Nov 26, 2015. Nikola Gruevski was in China to attend the fourth leaders' meeting between China and Central and Eastern European countries. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski in Beijing on Thursday, vowing more cooperation in infrastructure building and industrialization.

Calling Macedonia a reliable friend and partner to China, Li said China is willing to work with Macedonia in upgrading railways, expressways and power stations and to expand their trade in agricultural products.

He pledged to encourage Chinese enterprises to participate in Macedonia's cement plant and industrial park construction.

Gruevski, who is in China for the fourth summit between China and 16 central and eastern European (CEE) countries, said this "16+1" mechanism has greatly strengthened CEE-China cooperation.

Macedonia welcomes the involvement of Chinese companies in Macedonian hydroelectric, gas, transportation, industrial park, food, cement and metal processing projects, he said.