Media cooperation between China and the group of 16 Central and Eastern European Countries have enhanced public understanding and helped to promote the "16+1" cooperation mechanism, officials agreed on Friday.

Tong Gang, vice director of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television said at the closing ceremony of the 2017 China-CEEC Media Cooperation Year that cooperation plays an important role in carrying forward traditional friendship, enhancing mutual understanding and promoting the common development of media.

Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Chao also emphasized the importance of media, saying it should play its role as a bridge to enhance mutual understanding and trust between China and the CEEC.

Wang said that the "16+1" mechanism has achieved practical results and delivered benefits to the people of the 17 countries.

"Media should make better use of this platform to explore innovative transformation and promote integrated development to further consolidate the public support for the cooperation mechanism", he said.

The media should also tell the story of China-CEEC cooperation, especially between the people of these countries to promote the mechanism, he added.

Bulgarian Ambassador to China Grigor Porozhanov said that media cooperation helped China and the CEEC to deepen communication and cooperation through direct connection, so that information can be equally spread through the 17 countries.

"The media is an extremely powerful tool that has been utilized very well by China and the CEEC to further strengthen our cooperation and understanding in every aspect of the partnership," he added.

During the past year, the media of the 17 countries held more than 50 cooperation events such as policy communication, news reports, program exchanges, joint productions, film and television festival shows and talent cultivation.