On 25th September, the High-level Video Conference themed “Cooperating Against the Pandemic and Creating a Better Future” , co-hosted by the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA) and the Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC), was successfully held in Beijing. The conference was held both online and on-site. Mr. Wan Gang, Vice Chairman of the 13th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and Mr. Boris Tadic, former President of Serbia, attended the conference on-site and online respectively and delivered keynote speeches. Mr. Wang Chao, President of CPIFA, and Mr. Ismail Serageldin, Co-Chair of NGIC, co-chaired the conference. Around 20 renowned representatives from the political, academia and health fields both from China and abroad, including 8 former heads of states and governments, participated in the conference and had in-depth discussions on the topics of “Addressing the Impacts of the Pandemic and Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind” and “China-CEEC (Central and Eastern European Countries) Cooperation in the New Era”.  

Mr. Wan Gang outlined the prevention and control measures and the major strategic achievements of China against the pandemic, spoke positively of the cooperation against Covid-19 between China and Europe, and proposed four points of suggestions: fighting Covid-19 through solidarity and mutual assistance; promoting both domestic and international circulation; seeking opportunities in crisis and promoting a future-oriented, sustainable development and having more cultural and people-to-people exchanges.  

The participants agreed that mankind are standing at a new crossroad in history facing many common challenges including the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic globally. We should uphold the concept of multilateralism, strengthen cooperation, stand together through storms and stress, and seek consensus through cooperation, enhance confidence and promote common development. President Wang Chao summarized the conference saying that the health of mankind is facing severe challenges, the world economy has been heavily shocked, and the global governance is facing tough test. However, the solid foundation, the firm determination and the good momentum for cooperation between China and Europe especially the Central and Eastern Europe remain unchanged. Looking into the Post-pandemic era, China and Europe should deepen communication and cooperation, promote further development of the bilateral relations with the principles of mutual respect, mutual partnership and offering opportunities for each other.