Ante Simonic, former Croatian deputy prime minister, attends the China-CEEC Mayors Forum. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]

Ante Simonic, former deputy prime minister of Croatia and the country's former ambassador to China, expressed his heartfelt admiration for China and Ningbo on May 17 when participating in the China-CEEC Mayors Forum.

"I had a lot of wonderful times in China. China has made great changes to my life," said Simonic. He is currently the chairman of the Croatia-China Friendship Association and has been paying close attention to China's development. Simonic also possesses a profound understanding of China's history and culture and has praised China on many public occasions.

"This is my fifth time visiting Ningbo and witnessing the city's prosperity. Congratulations to Ningbo for developing so rapidly," he said.

Ningbo and Rijeka in Croatia signed an agreement to establish friendly relations in 2011. "I was then the Croatian ambassador to China. It has been over a decade since the two cities started cooperating," Simonic noted.

The forum held that day focused on green development. Speaking of which, Simonic highlighted the urgent need for collective efforts to address global challenges such as climate change, environmental pollution, and inequality. By taking joint action in reducing carbon emissions and ensuring clean air and water sources, sustainable development can be achieved, he added.