May 14 (SeeNews) - Serbia's energy minister Aleksandar Antic said on Monday that the 16+1 mechanism for cooperation between Central and Eastern European countries and China has made the Asian country one of the major investment and trade partners of Serbia.
The mechanism provides great perspectives for cooperation projects in the entire region of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in the field of infrastructure, science and culture, Antic said in a video file posted on the website of news agency Tanjug.
"Serbia has taken advantage of the mechanism and China is now one of our biggest investment, trade and infrastructure partners," Antic said during a news conference following the second high-level meeting of the coordination mechanism for cooperation in forestry between China and CEE countries in Belgrade.
The participants in the meeting adopted a declaration on forests and climate change during the meeting, reaffirming the need to develop opportunities for investment in forestry and wood processing, strengthening forestry education at all levels, and research cooperation, the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said in an e-mailed statement on Monday.
The cooperation between Central and Eastern European countries and China (16+1) mechanism represents an initiative by China aimed at intensifying and expanding cooperation with 11 EU Member States and five Balkan countries, including Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia.