CHONGQING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- An opening ceremony for the Local Leaders' Meeting of China and Central and Eastern European (CEE) Countries was held on Wednesday in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

The meeting is the first to be held under the China-CEE cooperative framework and is intended to enhance mutual understanding and cooperation.

China and CEE countries are mutually important cooperative partners, said Sun Zhengcai, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chief of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the CPC.

Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta and representatives from about 70 provinces and cities in China and 16 central and eastern European countries are attending the meeting, which will run from July 2 to 4.

The meeting is expected to boost communication and cooperation among China and CEE countries, Gruevski said.

Chongqing Mayor Huang Qifan and Vice Foreign Minister Song Tao are also attending the meeting.