On the afternoon of July 6, 2018 local time, Premier Li Keqiang met with President Rumen Radev of Bulgaria at the Presidency Building in Sofia.

Li Keqiang first conveyed President Xi Jinping's sincere regards to President Rumen Radev. Li Keqiang said that the traditional friendship between China and Bulgaria is brimming with new vitality as time goes by. At present, China and Bulgaria have maintained close exchanges at all levels, made remarkable achievements from cooperation in key areas such as economy, trade and agriculture and constantly deepened people-to-people and cultural exchanges, becoming a model of country-to-country relations.

Li Keqiang pointed out that China is willing to continue to strengthen bilateral high-level exchanges and continuously expand practical cooperation in line with the principle of mutual benefit and win-win results and common development. China welcomes the export of high-quality agricultural products from Bulgaria to China and encourages capable Chinese enterprises to invest in Bulgaria. Both sides should intensify exchanges in people-to-people and cultural engagement, tourism and culture to inherit the friendship between China and Bulgaria. China is willing to actively study Mr. President's idea of establishing a research center on "16+1 cooperation" in Sofia.

Rumen Radev said that Bulgaria is one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China and attaches importance to its friendly relations with China. Based on mutual respect, Bulgaria stands ready to further consolidate mutual trust, and strengthen exchanges and cooperation in manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, science and technology, culture and people-to-people and cultural engagement, so as to promote Bulgaria-China comprehensive friendly cooperative partnership for new development. The Bulgarian side appreciates China for maintaining the rules of international trade and market economy, supports the "16+1 cooperation" and hopes to set up a research center in Sofia, in a bid to contribute wisdom to the promotion of the "16+1 cooperation" and China-Europe relations.

Xiao Jie and He Lifeng attended the meeting.