Links between the Ningbo city and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) will be stronger in the future, said Albanian journalist Armand Plaka following his two-day stay in Ningbo, coastal city of East China's Zhejiang province.

Plaka made these remarks after attending the 1st China-CEEC Trade and Investment Expo, which was held in the city June 8-12.

"Ningbo is one of the starting points of the Maritime Silk Road, and a city with a long history. Both shipping and air transportation are convenient between the city and CEEC cities," he said. "I strongly believe that economic and cultural ties between the two parties will be stronger."

Plaka is one of the 49 journalists from 16 CEE countries that were visiting Ningbo for four days for the Expo. They also had the chance to visit many places of interest in Ningbo, including the Ningbo Museum and the Ningbo Port.

Macedonian journalist Zhana Popovska Bozhinovska said that she was very impressed by the fact that Ningbo attaches such importance to working with CEEC.

"Having covered the Expo and its trade exhibitions, I was amazed that the city put such emphasis on working with us. Mayor of Ningbo said that it is going to open one building for each CEE country to exhibit our products. I think it is great opportunity for Chinese people to get to know us more," she said.

Apart from feeling Ningbo's enthusiasm for working with CEEC, journalists also praised the city's rich cultural and modern characteristics.

Miro Plese from Croatia said that he saw the city's long history thanks to the museum visit, while the intensive infrastructure construction surprised him.

"It is very beautiful and clean, and I can see that the city values its cultural relics very much," he said. "I can feel its history from the pieces displayed in the museum."

After Ningbo, the media delegation visited Yiwu, the world's largest center for small commodities, and the province's capital city, Hangzhou.

Edited by Mevlut Katik