Newly established Croatian Council of Sinologists (CCS) will help promote the Chinese language and culture in the country, said Croatian sinologist Ivica Bakota in a recent interview with Xinhua.

It will also provide a platform for cooperation with China, the expert said.

The CCS was established in March through a video conference, and is the first such organization in Croatia.

Ivica Bakota, who is an assistant professor of history at the Capital Normal University in Beijing, was a founding member of the CCS.

Bakota underlined that sinology in Croatia has a long history dating back to the 1970s. In 2000, the subject was introduced as a non-degree minor at the University of Zagreb. However, on March 27 this year, the University elevated the minor in sinology to a major. It therefore became the first institution of higher education in Croatia to confer degrees in sinology, Bakota noted.

The CCS cooperates with the World Council of Sinologists, and is a member of this organization, Bakota said. Academic research cooperation, the organization of academic conferences, seminars, round tables, staff and student exchanges will be enhanced with the Chinese side, he added.

There was a consensus during the launch ceremony of the CCS that cooperation between Croatia and China should be boosted. For example, the Sinology Department at the University of Zagreb is set to organize an academic conference, and invite members from the World Sinology Center and the World Council of Sinologists, Bakota said.