Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Bratislava, capital of Slovakia, Thursday for a state visit aimed at expanding friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

In a written statement issued upon his arrival at the airport, the Chinese leader said Slovakia is one of the first group of countries that set up diplomatic ties with China.

"The bilateral ties have stood the test of time and the changes of the international situation since the two countries established diplomatic relations 60 years ago," said the president.

In recent years, he said, the China-Slovakia relations have developed steadily with great achievements of cooperation in the political, economic, trade, and cultural sectors.

President Hu said China attaches importance to the development of relations with Slovakia and would work together with the Slovakian side to deepen pragmatic cooperation between the two countries, and to enrich the contents of bilateral ties so as to benefit the two peoples.

"I'm looking forward to exchanging views with President Ivan Gasparovic and other Slovakian leaders on bilateral relations and the international and regional issues of common concern," said the president.

"My visit, I believe, would promote the mutual understanding of our two countries, enhance the traditional friendship, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and push forward the development of friendly and cooperative ties between China and Slovakia," the president said.

Hu is currently on a three-nation trip. He flew into Bratislava from Moscow after concluding a state visit to Russia. Before that, Hu attended a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and a meeting of BRIC countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India and China, in Yekaterinburg.

The Chinese president will also travel to Croatia for a state visit Friday.

(Xinhua News Agency June 18, 2009)