Kyrgyz parliament speaker says Chinese premier's visit to further promote bilateral co-op

BELT & ROAD INITIATIVE

The Kyrgyz congressman considers China's Belt and Road Initiative meeting all the fundamental interests of the international community.

The Belt and Road Initiative, which comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was brought up by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, with the aim of building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road routes.

"One Belt, One Road, first of all, is one of the ways leading to common development, prosperity, cooperation of countries along the Silk Road," he said.

Tursunbekov also discussed the concept of the Silk Road Economic Belt. He said that this concept opens up opportunities for Kyrgyzstan to promote infrastructure and energy projects, and to establish cooperation with China in the field of clean renewable energy.

"We are ready to work on pairing the initiative of the Silk Road Economic Belt with the development strategy of the Kyrgyz Republic as well as the Eurasian Economic Union," he said.

Tursunbekov expressed interest in regional cooperation between Kyrgyz and Chinese provinces. He cited as an example the successful development of trade and economic relations between Kyrgyzstan and northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

"We receive many investment programs from Urumqi city (capital of Xinjiang). Urumqi and Bishkek are twin cities," he said.

Such interregional cooperation is in the spirit of the Silk Road Economic Belt, he said.

The speaker, who came back from China after attending the forum "The Party and the World Dialogue 2016", which was held in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing on Oct. 14-15, said the forum was successful.

"The main purpose of the forum was to discuss ways of innovation in global economic governance," he said.

Tursunbekov emphasized the key role of China's Communist Party in the development of the Chinese economy.

"It can raise the living condition of its people from average prosperity to higher one," he said.