(Read the full article on unian.ua)

The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping agreed on this during the first telephone conversation, UNIAN reported, citing the press service of the President’s Office.

It is noted that Zelensky and Xi Jinping discussed the importance of developing people-to-people contacts between the two countries and agreed to conclude a visa-free agreement between Ukraine and China.

The heads of state also exchanged congratulations on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the establishment of a strategic partnership between Ukraine and China and reaffirmed their mutual commitment to its development and deepening.

The leaders discussed the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Zelensky thanked the President of the People’s Republic of China on behalf of the Ukrainian people for the supply of coronavirus vaccines to Ukraine.

“These vaccines have saved the lives of many Ukrainians,” he said.

The leaders noted that the joint fight against the pandemic and cooperation between China and Ukraine is a living embodiment of friendship between our peoples.

“China is Ukraine’s number one trade and economic partner in the world. And we are interested in the full realization of the potential of bilateral cooperation, especially in the areas of trade and major infrastructure projects,” said the President of Ukraine.

The head of state noted that despite the global pandemic, trade between Ukraine and China is growing for the second year in a row. This testifies to productive bilateral cooperation.

Zelensky stressed the importance of Chinese investors’ participation in a number of projects on the development of seaport infrastructure, road construction and modernization, the development of railways and urban infrastructure, and municipal services.

During the conversation, the interest in increasing Ukrainian exports to China and expanding cooperation in the processing of Ukrainian agricultural products was confirmed.

The President of the People’s Republic of China noted the importance of the presidential project “Large Construction” and expressed China’s readiness to cooperate in this direction.