BEIJING, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has extended congratulations to Iliana Iotova on her election as president of Bulgaria.

In a message on Friday, Xi noted that Bulgaria was the second country in the world to establish diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China, and that mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit and win-win results have been hallmarks of the bilateral relations.

In recent years, the two countries have been steadily advancing exchanges and cooperation at all levels and across all fields, while their strategic partnership has continued to deepen, said Xi.

Xi also said that he attaches great importance to the development of the China-Bulgaria ties.

He pledged to work with Iotova to guide the two countries as they march together along their respective paths to development and revitalization, build an even more positive, practical and dynamic bilateral relationship, and thereby bring greater benefits to the two peoples. ■