On September 23, local time, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met with his Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borissov in New York.

During the meeting, Wen said China and Bulgaria have traditional friendship, and that bilateral ties have weathered various tests and are now faced with new opportunities for development. Both sides should further expand contacts and communication at all levels, enhance mutual trust and consolidate the political basis of bilateral ties, Wen said.

China is ready to work with Bulgaria to promote a balanced and stable growth of bilateral trade, expand mutual investment, and strengthen exchanges in the fields of culture, education and tourism for the benefit of both peoples, Wen said.

For his part, Borissov said Sino-Bulgarian ties are a good model of friendly relations between countries of different social systems. Bulgaria would like to deepen bilateral substantial cooperation with China in the fields of trade, finance, environmental protection, tourism and infrastructure construction, and lift bilateral ties to a new height, Borissov said. Bulgaria will continue to play a positive role in promoting the development of Sino-European ties.