BEIJING - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday offered congratulations on the second China and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries local leaders meeting.

More than 1000 local government officials and business executives from China and CEE countries on Thursday gathered in Prague for the two-day meeting.

In his congratulatory message, Li said that to convene the local leaders meeting is an important consensus reached during the China-CEE leaders' meeting in Bucharest in November 2013, which has drawn broad positive response from local governments of the 17 countries.

The meeting, which is becoming an important platform for China-CEE cooperation, plays an increasingly important role in promoting local development and serving enterprises with its fast-growing influence and appeal, said Li.

The year 2014 marks the 65th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between China and some Central and Eastern European countries, including the Czech Republic.

It is thus a crucial year for further development of the China-CEE cooperation as well as the beginning year for building a China-Europe partnership featuring peace, growth, reform and civilization, Li said.

Local cooperation, with its broad sphere and diversified forms, could help promote development and benefit people, he said.

The Chinese premier voiced hope that participating parties at the meeting will seize the opportunity to transform the local cooperation into an important engine for the China-CEE cooperation so as to inject fresh vitality into the traditional China-CEE friendship and make new contributions to deepening the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership.