Chinese negotiator Xie Zhenhua told EU ministers that China" is ready for a constructive and active cooperation with EU member states in dealing with climate change issues," Lithuanian Minister of Environment Valentinas Mazuronis, who chaired the ministerial meetings, said.
"I believe that it is a very important, serious and significant step that was made in Vilnius in seeking closer cooperation between EU member states and China," the Lithuanian minister told a press conference.
European Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard welcomed China's plans to reduce CO2 emissions
"I think what might be of most interest to many Europeans is that how the minister from China described what they are actually trying to do right now: preparing their own climate law, starting their own emissions trading scheme with the help of the European Union (...), preparing also a low carbon roadmap for 2050," she said.
Following the meeting, Minister Mazuronis also said that preparations for the upcoming Warsaw Climate Change Conference in November are one of the key priorities of the Lithuanian EU presidency.
"Our goal is to get prepare in a way to be able to endorse a universal legally-binding international agreement in 2015, aimed at ensuring ambitious and effective actions of all countries, aimed at fighting climate change," Mazuronis was quoted as saying in a statement following the meeting.
Lithuania took over the rotating EU presidency on July 1.
