习近平出席塞尔维亚总统武契奇举行的欢迎宴会

当地时间5月8日中午，国家主席习近平和夫人彭丽媛出席塞尔维亚总统武契奇和夫人在贝尔格莱德塞尔维亚大厦举行的欢迎宴会。这是习近平发表祝酒辞。新华社记者 庞兴雷 摄

新华社贝尔格莱德5月8日电（记者孙奕 史霄萌）当地时间5月8日中午，国家主席习近平和夫人彭丽媛出席塞尔维亚总统武契奇和夫人在贝尔格莱德塞尔维亚大厦举行的欢迎宴会。

在热烈的掌声中，习近平发表祝酒辞。

习近平指出，塞尔维亚位于“东方之西方，西方之东方”，素来享有“巴尔干之钥”的美誉。千百年来，欧亚大陆多元文明在这里交融碰撞，造就了塞尔维亚民族勤劳善良、坚毅不屈的品格。当前，在武契奇总统带领下，塞尔维亚政府和人民奋发进取，在经济社会建设和民生改善等领域取得骄人成绩，民族自信心和自豪感不断提升，国家发展和民族振兴迎来光明而广阔的前景。

习近平强调，中国人民对塞尔维亚素来怀有特殊友好感情，南斯拉夫电影《桥》、歌曲《啊，朋友再见》在中国广为流传，激荡着人们的爱国主义情怀和反法西斯精神，也伴我度过了青年时代。德约科维奇、约基奇、库斯图里察等塞尔维亚体育界、文化界著名人士在中国家喻户晓。近年来，中塞高质量共建“一带一路”动力强劲、成果丰硕，成为构建人类命运共同体的生动实践。

习近平指出，刚才，我同武契奇总统举行了全面而深入的会谈，达成许多重要共识。我们共同签署联合声明，宣布构建新时代中塞命运共同体，实现了中塞关系新的伟大历史跨越。今天，中塞关系正站在崭新的起点上，面临宝贵机遇和光明前景。中方愿同友好的塞尔维亚人民一道努力，为新时代中塞命运共同体建设不断奋斗！

蔡奇、王毅等出席。

Xi says he enjoys Yugoslav films, songs when young

Chinese President Xi Jinping makes a toast during a welcoming banquet held by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Madame Tamara Vucic in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan attended the welcoming banquet on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

BELGRADE, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping shared his special bond with the Serbian people on Wednesday, saying he enjoyed Yugoslav films and songs when he was young.

"The Yugoslav film The Bridge and the song Bella Ciao, which evoke strong patriotic and anti-Fascism sentiments, have been immensely popular in China through the years and became my companion in my youthful days," Xi said when attending a welcome banquet held by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

The Chinese people have always cherished a special bond of friendship with Serbia, he said, adding that Serbian athletes Novak Djokovic and Nikola Jokic, and movie director Emir Kusturica are household names in China.

Xi pointed out that Serbia, located on "the west of the East, and east of the West," has long been known as "the gateway to the Balkans."

For centuries, this land has been a meeting place of diverse civilizations on the Eurasian continent, which in many ways shaped the diligent, kind, and unyielding character of the Serbian people, he said.

During a joint press conference with Vucic on Wednesday afternoon, Xi mentioned the warm greetings he had received in the country. On Tuesday evening, upon Xi's arrival, Vucic and his wife, leading a delegation of senior Serbian officials, went to the airport to greet him and his wife in person, which was very touching, Xi said.

Prior to their meeting, Vucic accompanied Xi to the platform of the Palace of Serbia. On the square in front of the Palace, some 15,000 Serbian people were waving national flags of China and Serbia to express the warmest welcome to Xi. The Chinese leader waved to the crowd, which burst into jubilant, prolonged applause and cheers.

Later in his meeting with Vucic, Xi said that he was deeply touched when he was greeted at the airport by President Vucic together with many senior government officials who held a grand welcoming ceremony for his visit.

He also said he was deeply moved by the genuine friendliness toward China from the Serbian people who are good friends of the Chinese people.

In a signed article published prior to his arrival in Serbia, he said "There has always been an affinity between Chinese and Serbian peoples despite the long distance between us."

"During the bitter Anti-Fascist War and our respective nation-building in the last century, the Chinese and Serbian peoples forged a strong friendship that extends through time and space," said the article.