4. Cultivating New Drivers for Cooperation in Science, Technology, Innovation, Finance, Green Environmental Protection, Agriculture, Energy, Forestry and Health
(1) The Participants support strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation, based on level playing field, in research and innovation, launching the China-CEEC Science, Technology and Innovation Partnership, holding the China-CEEC Conference on Innovation Cooperation on a regular basis. Participants are willing to work together to build joint labs, conduct joint research, strengthen technological personnel exchanges and conduct cooperation in popular science education, on a voluntary basis. The Participants will explore the possibility of establishing China-CEEC Innovation Capacity Building Working Group in Serbia.
(2) The Participants are willing to take active measures to support the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), encourage SMEs and entrepreneurs to strengthen communication and cooperation, and support exploring the establishment of mechanisms for liaison between enterprises. Participants support Croatia in leading the efforts to establish the 16+1 Coordination Mechanism for SMEs, and support China in establishing China-CEEC SMEs Cooperation Zone.
(3) The Participants commend the progress made in the preparation for the establishment of the 16+1 Environmental Protection Cooperation Mechanism in Montenegro, welcome the participation of environmental agencies and enterprises on a voluntary basis and support the bigger role of this mechanism in moving forward environmental cooperation.
(4) Participants encourage financial institutions, on a voluntary basis, to continue to strengthen existing cooperation on investment and financing, introduce innovations in the mode of investment and financing according to the demands of the market, create new financing instruments, strengthen the dialogue between banks and enterprises and explore cooperation on RMB financing and green financial bonds. China would welcome the inclusion of RMB into the Foreign Exchange Reserves of CEECs.
(5) Participants welcome China and more CEECs signing bilateral MOUs on cooperation related to financial regulation and the strengthening of such cooperation.
(6) The Participants support strengthened cooperation between relevant banks and financial institutions in China and CEECs to achieve further expansion of China-CEEC trade and deepened cooperation in areas such as infrastructure and energy. The Participants support the work of the International Working Group on Export Credits.
(7) The Participants support Romania in establishing a 16+1 Smart City Coordination Center.
(8) The Participants support Lithuania in establishing a 16+1 Fintech Coordination Center. The 16+1 High Level Fintech Forum will be held in Lithuania in 2019.
(9) The Participants support greater development for financial cooperation platforms such as the China-CEEC Inter-Bank Association and welcome its first council meeting.
(10) The Participants commend Lithuania for hosting the 3rd China-CEEC Agricultural Ministers' Meeting, the 13th China-CEEC Agro-trade and Economic Cooperation Forum. The Participants deem that the success of these events and decisions adopted play a positive role to moving forward practical 16+1 agricultural cooperation. The 4th 16+1 Agricultural Ministers' Meeting and the 14th 16+1 Agro-trade and Economic Cooperation Forum will be held in China in 2019.
(11) The Participants support exchange of activities between agricultural enterprises in China and CEEC countries, the building of an effective platform for investment cooperation and agricultural machinery and technology cooperation. China will be the partner country of the International Economy Fair in Mostar in 2019 during which an event related to the 16+1 cooperation will be held. The Participants welcome China's efforts to pursue policies aiming to facilitate market access for CEEC products, including inter alia agricultural goods, in order to promote more balanced trade between China and CEECs.
(12) The Participants will discuss the possibility of formulating a China-CEEC Agricultural Cooperation Action Plan, and aim to work together to move forward the building of 16+1 Agricultural Cooperation Demonstration Zones in China and CEE countries, and "16+1 E-Commerce Logistics Hub and Pavilion for Agricultural and other Products" in China and CEE countries and to explore cooperation on the production of fruits and vegetables and gardening. The Participants encourage the relevant institutions to develop instruments to support the Agriculture Cooperation Demonstration Zones and the implementation of development projects of common interest.
The Participants welcome the collaboration between the Academy of Agricultural Sciences of China and relevant scientific institutions in CEECs to build joint labs and conduct joint agricultural researches.
The Participants support activities such as exchanges of information and experts on the prevention and control of animal diseases, plant pests and diseases and training for veterinarians and phyto-sanitary inspectors.
The Participants encourage the strengthening of communication and cooperation in green development and rural revitalization through seminars, forums and other events.
The Participants are willing to take measures to facilitate the market access of agricultural and food products in line with respective laws and regulations and on the precondition of safety, including speeding up the finalization of the procedures for meeting the requirements for import of agricultural products from CEE countries into China. The Participants may jointly conduct study of cooperation on highly infectious and severe diseases of mutual interest.
The Participants will explore the possibility of establishing a veterinary science cooperation center in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Participants will be informed on the developments regarding this initiative.
(13) The 4th China-CEEC Health Ministers' Forum will be held in 2019. Interested Participants support existing Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) centers in Hungary, the Czech Republic and Montenegro and are willing to explore the building of TCM centers in other countries, welcome the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and local TCM universities conducting direct cooperation with medical universities in CEECs and support exploring building herbal medicine cultivation bases in CEECs.
(14) The Participants support deepening bilateral dialogues on agricultural irrigation policy and exchanges and sharing best practices on agricultural irrigation technology and experience. The Participants support multilateral agricultural irrigation exchanges and cooperation within frameworks such as the China-Europe Water Platform and the China-EU Water Policy Dialogue to move forward relevant cooperation projects.
(15) The Participants commend Serbia for hosting the 2nd China-CEEC High-Level Conference on Forestry Cooperation and support the holding of high-level meetings on a regular basis, the further strengthening of cooperation on areas such as forestry research and education and forestry trade and investment between China and CEECs. The Participants welcome visits to China by CEEC delegates for forestry-related exhibitions and activities to promote mutual understanding.
(16) The Participants welcome the role of the China-CEEC Energy Dialogue and Cooperation Center in Romania and commend its efforts in conducting joint energy research projects such as national researches and technical exchanges.
(17) The Participants agreed to establish a Global Partnership Center of CEECs and China in Bulgaria to provide policy advice and legal advice, as well as expertise for the 16+1 cooperation when needed.
