Javier Solana, the European Union's foreign policy chief, extended his condolences and solidarity to Chinese victims of terrible blizzards.

"I would like to take the opportunity to express our condolences and solidarity to the people in China suffering from this heavy winter," Solana said in an interview with Xinhua and CCTV in Brussels.

He also said that "emotions in our heart" would go to the families of the those suffering.

With the traditional Chinese New Year approaching, Solana wished "the Chinese people all the best for the new year" and progress in the future.

The year 2008 "got to be a very important year," Solana said, wishing "a great success" for the country and for the Olympic Games.

He said that the great get-together of the people from different countries of the world "before the shared values and shared principles" was not only for sports but also for the atmosphere of peace.

As for the EU-China relations, Solana said, "you know the relations are very good", adding that based on this "we will do our utmost to make them deeper".

To make the relations deeper economically and politically, "we have to make more frequent trips from China to Brussels and from Brussels to China to maintain the move for making our relations as profound as possible," he said.

In replying to the question when he would visit China again, Solana said that the date has to be arranged, but he "will and would like to visit China once every year at least." He said the two sides would have a summit, "a very important one", in 2008.

The Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, falls on February 7 this year.

Just days ahead of the festival, the southern part of China witnessed terrible blizzards that were never seen for over 50 years, leaving hundreds and thousands of people stranded on their way home for the festival.
 
(Xinhua News Agency February 1, 2008)