Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip met in Tallinn Wednesday with visiting Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, with both sides vowing to strengthen cooperation in various fields.

Relations between the two countries are developing smoothly and bilateral cooperation in various fields is full of vigor and vitality, said Ansip.

He said he believed bilateral ties would improve further in the future.

Ansip expressed the hope that China can make use of Estonia's position as a transit port within the European Union (EU) in further developing economic and trade cooperation with Estonia.

Li, for his part, said friendly cooperation between China and Estonia has made considerable progress and he is full of confidence over the prospects of the development of bilateral ties.

China will continue to encourage enterprises of the two countries to conduct cooperation and enlarge mutual investments, said Li, who arrived in Tallinn Tuesday for a two-day visit to the Baltic country.

China will also step up exchanges and cooperation with Estonia in such fields as culture, education and tourism and deepen China-Estonia cooperation within the framework of the EU and international organizations, including the United Nations, Li said.

Also on Wednesday, Li held talks with Estonian Foreign Minister Ulmas Paet and exchanged views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common concern.

Estonia is Li's first stop of an European tour which will also take him to Lithuania, Latvia, Serbia and Montenegro, and Cyprus.

(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2005)