QUITO, May 5 -- Foreign ministers from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) agreed Tuesday to hold a series of new fora with China to further bilateral cooperation in the region.

Ecuadoran Foreign Affairs Minister Ricardo Patino said, "the fora are going to take place over the next few months," with the first to be held as early as next month.

These fora "will allow us to continue to consolidate this relationship, which is of interest to both China and CELAC member countries," he added.

Patino made the remarks at a press conference following the end of a meeting of the bloc's top diplomats in Ecuador's capital Quito, held to discuss the bloc's proposed five-year agenda (2015-2020).

The meeting outlined the steps CELAC must take to bolster ties with China, he said.

The fora, which will take place in China and Latin America, will provide opportunities to discuss a variety of topics, from "agriculture to science and technology, (and) infrastructure," he added.

The first CELAC-China forum was held in January in Beijing to explore development options available to Latin America with increased cooperation from China.