BUCHAREST - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will attend a China-Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) leaders' meeting here and pay an official visit to Romania as a guest of Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta.

It will be the first visit by a Chinese premier to Romania in 19 years and also Li's first visit to the Central and Eastern Europe since he took office in March.

"Premier Li's official visit to Romania will significantly lift bilateral ties, and inject new impetus to the two countries' traditional friendship and practical cooperation," said Cui Hongjian, director of the European Department at the China Institute of International Studies.

During his visit in Romania, Li will meet with Romanian leaders and give a speech at the parliament.

As China's time-honored friend, Romania set up diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC) on October 5, 1949, four days after the PRC was founded. It also devoted great efforts to the restoration of UN membership for the PRC in 1971.

Sound political relations between China and Romania have laid a solid foundation for pushing forward their practical cooperation.

The two countries have maintained frequent high-level exchanges. Both President Xi Jinping and Li met with Ponta at the Local Leaders' Meeting of China and Central and Eastern European (CEE) held in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on July 2-4.

During the meeting, Xi said that China is ready to work with Romania to expand exchanges and cooperation in various areas, enhance coordination in multilateral affairs and lift bilateral ties to a higher level.

Li, during talks with Ponta, highlighted the profound friendship, mutual respect, understanding and support between the two peoples, and called on the two sides to expand cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, renewable energy and culture.