President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum held in Beijing, China's capital city. The opening ceremony of also called “the modern Silk Road” held in China National Congress Center in Beijing Olympic Center which attended by 29 states government leaders those are on the route of the belt.

Following the shooting of the family photo of the participating country's leaders, the opening session was held. President Erdoğan made a speech during the opening session. The initiative which is called the “New Silk Road,” said it would mark the future with the goal of linking Asia, Europe, Africa and South America.

President Erdoğan, relating to the initiative of belt and road, stated that upgrading the infrastructure plans and technical standards of the countries on the route will contribute to the development of corridors especially on land, sea and airways at inter-continental scale.

In the evaluation of “The New Silk Road” initiative, President Erdoğan said, “The ‘New Silk Road’ project is a very important project that covering more than 60 countries worldwide, represents an area of about 40 million square kilometers and 4.5 billion of the world's population. It is crucial that this initiative, which will benefit from regional cooperation, has a crucial role to play in a win-win approach. With the establishment of a harmonious system of political and economic environment, we will open doors for a new era based on stability and prosperity in our region. Fight against poverty and take necessary measures against climate change, it is necessary to invest an average of 1.7 trillion dollars annually until 2030.”

Erdoğan said that this initiative, which is a vast geographical reality, means the establishment of a brand new system linked to economic, political, social and cultural fields. “I believe that there is a win-win project to serve peacefully and steadily in the future. The increase in the standard of living of our citizens through sustainable growth and development will be a common success for all of us.” (ILKHA)