"China has made huge progress and it is becoming a great power in world sports," Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic said in a written interview to Xinhua in his country's capital of Bratislava on Monday.
The president, who has just returned from the Beijing Olympics, hailed the achievements of Chinese athletes at the Games, referring to the Chinese Olympics delegation as a world-level team.
He was impressed not only by China's achievements in sports but also by its ability in organizing the event, Gasparovic said.
"The 29th Beijing Olympic Games was one of the most spectacular and well-organized Olympic Games," he added.
He recalled his previous visit to China in 1994 and noted that unprecedented changes had taken place in the country.
The president also praised the performance of the Slovak Olympic delegation, saying it was the greatest success his country had achieved at the Olympics since separating from the former Czechoslovakia in 1993
Slovakia won 3 gold medals, 2 silvers and 1 bronze, to rank 25th on the overall medals list at the Beijing Olympics.
On Aug. 28, Gasparovic hosted a ceremony for Slovakia's Paralympics delegation at the presidential palace in Bratislava.
He spoke highly of the athletes' strong will in fighting handicap as well as their spirit of competition in sports. He wished them great success at the Beijing Paralympic Games, to be held from Sept. 6-17.
China and Slovakia have long-enjoyed friendly relations, Gasparovic said, as next year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the former Czechoslovakia.
Both sides have great faith in future prospects for bilateral ties and cooperation, said the Slovak president, adding that Chinamight benefit a lot from its trade partnership with Slovakia, a European Union member.
Source: Xinhua
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