Visiting Slovakian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Pavol Rusko announced Thursday in Shanghai that Slovakia has decided to establish a consulate in Shanghai in order to further boost the bilateral economic and trade cooperation with China.

Rusko said when meeting with Han Zheng, mayor of China's economic powerhouse Shanghai, that Slovakia attaches great importance to the economic and trade ties with China.

Rusko suggested that the two countries concretize bilateral trade cooperation by strengthening China's trade with and investment in Slovakia and encouraging more Chinese tourists to travel to Slovakia.

In the past two years, Rusko said only four hundred Chinese tourists traveled to Slovakia and he hoped the tourism departmentsand agencies of the two countries would step up cooperation to mobilize more Chinese tourist to China.

Han expressed appreciation for Rusko's suggestion. He said thatthe municipal government is committed to encouraging Chinese enterprises to further engage in overseas investment projects.

According to official statistics, the export and import volume between Shanghai and Slovakia witnessed an upsurge of 50 percent growth in 2003, and the bilateral trade also increased over 100 percent in the first quarter of this year. Enditem