SOFIA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Cooperation between China and Central and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) is among the foreign policy priorities of Bulgaria, the country's deputy foreign minister Georg Georgiev said here on Wednesday.

"I must point out here that cooperation between the CEEC and China" is one of the priority axes in the foreign policy of Bulgaria, Georgiev said while addressing the experts roundtable themed "Bulgaria and China: Development in the New Age and New Spheres of Cooperation".

For Bulgaria, it was a great responsibility to be an active part of the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism and contribute to the initiative with its geopolitical and geostrategic location in the Balkan region, and as a country linking Asia to Europe, Georgiev said.

Meanwhile, Bulgarian participation in the initiative reflected the country's willingness to make better use of the opportunities provided by the cooperation mechanism, he said.

Bulgaria had the pleasure of hosting the last year's China-CEEC leaders' meeting, and he believed that the arrangements achieved at the meeting "showed the practical dimensions of the cooperation".

The China-CEEC mechanism corresponded largely to Bulgaria's policy in the Balkans and across Central and Eastern Europe, namely a policy of infrastructure, transport and energy connectivity, leading to acceleration and further intensification of trade and economic relations, Georgiev said.

The eighth China-CEEC leaders' meeting in the Croatian city of Dubrovnik several days ago, which he attended as part of Bulgaria's delegation led by the Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, "is also very encouraging with regard to the way and methodologies on which we develop our relationships," Georgiev said.

He also recalled the launch of the Global Partnership Center of CEECs and China during the summit in Dubrovnik. The Global Partnership Center of CEECs and China is an important outcome made at last year's China-CEEC leaders' meeting in Sofia, capital of Bulgaria. It is also an initiative of innovation within the China-CEEC cooperation framework.

It demonstrated the seriousness of the intentions of the CEECs and China to cooperate in all areas of mutual interest, while respecting their national legislation, Georgiev said.

Gao Peiyong, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), said the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism provides conditions for better development of the BRI for both sides.

Jointly organized by the Diplomatic Institute to the Bulgarian Foreign Minister and the CASS, the one-day roundtable was held as part of the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Bulgaria.