The opening ceremony of the 3rd China-CEEC Conference on Innovation Cooperation was held in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on November 6, 2018. Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, sent a congratulatory letter to the conference. Vice Minister of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China and Director General of the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs Zhang Jianguo read the congratulatory letter and delivered remarks at the opening ceremony. Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Zvizdic, Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Vice Prime Minister) and Minister of Foreign Trade Sarovic, and Minister of Communications and Transport Ismir Jusko attended the opening ceremony.

Zhang Jianguo noted that the Chinese government attaches great importance to scientific and technological innovation cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries. We are ready to carry out dialogues regarding 16+1 scientific and technological innovation policies with Central and Eastern European countries under the framework of the China-CEEC Science, Technology and Innovation Partnership Program, implement specific cooperation measures, and promote the steady and long-term development of 16+1 scientific and technological innovation cooperation to advance the common development of China and Central and Eastern European countries.

Zvizdic emphasized that Central and Eastern European countries including Bosnia and Herzegovina value the importance of scientific and technological innovation in boosting economic development, which is conducive to promoting exchanges and cooperation between scientific and technological talent of different countries, accelerating technology transfer and experience sharing, and enhancing the overall competitiveness of Central and Eastern European countries. It is hoped the participants of all countries will deepen mutual understanding and carry out extensive cooperation to open up new prospects for 16+1 innovation cooperation.

During the following ministerial round table, Zhang Jianguo and Jusko as well as ministers and senior officials in charge of science, technology and innovation affairs from Serbia, Montenegro, Romania, Macedonia and Slovakia shared experiences and practices of their respective countries in the field of scientific and technological innovation, and made proposals for deepening 16+1 scientific and technological innovation cooperation.

The conference adopted the China-CEEC Joint Declaration on Innovation and Technology Cooperation. Huawei signed cooperation documents on smart cities and security cities respectively with the Ministry of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Municipal Government of Sarajevo. More than 20 activities were held during the conference, such as the innovation cooperation forum, keynote speeches, special discussions, project promotions, one-on-one negotiations, and exhibitions. More than 150 industry-university-research representatives from 14 provinces or municipalities participated in the conference, exhibiting more than 40 projects, covering fields like electronic information, new energy, environmental protection, and advanced manufacturing.

Zhang Jianguo also held bilateral meetings with Zvizdic and Jusko respectively. China and Bosnia and Herzegovina agreed to negotiate and sign an inter-governmental agreement on science and technology cooperation as soon as possible to discuss cooperation in the establishment of science and technology parks, exchanges and training of researchers, and technology transfer.

Source: Ministry of Science and Technology, People’s Republic of China