Second Belt and Road Forum kicks off in Beijing

In Beijing, the official opening of the second International Forum “One Belt, One Road” took place. The ceremony was attended by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The Chairman of the PRC, Xi Jinping, opening the forum, expressed his gratitude to the heads of all the participating delegations and numerous representatives of expert and analytical circles.

Xi Jinping noted that the project “One Belt, One Road”, implemented jointly with such international and regional structures as the UN, SCO, European Union and Eurasian Economic Union, corresponds to the development strategies of various countries and therefore opens a wide road for economic progress of the whole world.

He also spoke about the projects that will be implemented to strengthen international trade and investment relations, to stimulate the creation of new transport and logistics corridors. It was noted that the number of countries participating in the project is increasing; this indicates a growing desire for sustainable development in the world.

The international forum was first held in 2017. The initiative put forward by China is aimed at strengthening the mechanisms of interstate cooperation through the development of land and sea routes. The project currently covers 65 countries in Asia, Europe and Africa. In the future, as a result of the accession of other countries, it will turn into a global economic platform.

The current forum will focus on further deepening economic cooperation, enhancing collaboration in finding new sources of long-term growth, promoting a green economy and innovation, as well as implementing priority infrastructure projects.

The event will last two days. The President of Uzbekistan is expected to deliver a speech in the forum.