On November 26, 2008, visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao came to an agricultural cooperative in the village of Peza on the Grete Island, Greece, and noted there China and Greece should expand agricultural exchanges and cooperation.

At 10:45 a.m. local time, President Hu and his wife Liu Yongqing, accompanied by Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, arrived at Peza agricultural cooperative which is located in the suburb of Iraklion, Crete and were warmly welcomed by the local residents.

Crete Island is well known as the “kingdom of olive” where one fifth of Greece’s total olive trees are planted. November is the time when olives are harvested and oil is extracted. The island which breeds several thousands of years of Greek “olive civilization” is immersed in an atmosphere of harvest.

Hu first of all visited an olive farm. He listened to the introduction of the head of the cooperative about the harvest this year beside an olive tree and, at request, happily picked the mature olives with a long electric tool. The owner of the olive farm excitedly said that President Hu picked the first batch of olives here this year.

Hu then visited the farm products exhibit room where various olive products and tools the local farmers used to produce olive oil in the past are displayed. He asked specific questions on the oil output, extraction methods, per unit extraction volume and market price of olive oil. He later visited the olive oil processing and production workshop to learn about the processing and production processes.

Hu extended congratulations on the achievements of the cooperative, best wish for its prosperity and an invitation to the cooperative to explore the Chinese market and broaden exchanges and cooperation with its Chinese peers.

The head of the cooperative expressed gratitude to President Hu and noted that both Greece and China enjoy long history and friendship between their people. With the support of President Hu, the Peza cooperative will be able to work with its Chinese peers to sell more high quality olive oil in the Chinese market.

Hu, at request, wrote down that China-Greece friendship lasts forever before leaving Peza.

He cordially visited the staffs of Chinese embassy in Greece and representatives of local Chinese-funded organizations, overseas Chinese and students abroad on the afternoon.

Ling Jihua, Wang Huning and Dai Bingguo also attended the above activities.