Meeting on the sidelines of the 16+1 summit, Cerar and Li also discussed Slovenia signing with China a Silk Road cooperation initiative at the event on Monday, the prime minister's office said.

The bilateral business cooperation is on the rise, also because of the intensified relations between the country's governments and the cooperation as part of the 16+1 initiative.

At the meeting, Cerar pointed to some prospective areas of cooperation, including civil aviation, air transport infrastructure, automotive and hi-tech industries and science.

According to Cerar, agriculture and tourism also have potential, with visits by Chinese tourists in Slovenia and Europe being on the steep rise lately, and trends indicate a further growth.

Meanwhile, the Chinese premier said that China strongly supported Slovenia's initiative to declare 20 May World Honey Bee Day.

On the occasion, Cerar handed to his Chinese counterpart a jar of honey produced in a beehive on a balcony of the Government Palace in Ljubljana, the prime minister's office said.

Cerar and Li furthermore confirmed the traditionally good relations between the countries, which were established 25 years ago.

This was Cerar's third meeting with a senior Chinese official after he received Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli in Ljubljana in April and Chinese President's special envoy Meng Jianzhu in September.