Iranian Ambassador Calls For Revival Of Silk Road

Beijing, July 1, IRNA – Iranian ambassador to China Mahdi Safari on Monday underlined the need to revive Silk Road to help establish a new economic region. Safari made the remarks in a seminar held at Renmin University of China in presence of representatives from 12 countries. He said Iranˈs determination to help revive the Silk Road indicates the significance Tehran attaches to enhanced cooperation between China and West Asia. The ambassador referred to Iranian President Hassan Rouhaniˈs meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization last September in which the two presidents called for further promotion of Tehran-Beijing ties. During his visit to China President Rouhani expressed support for effort to revive the Silk Road. The Chinese president, also, invited Iran to make significant contributions to build the necessary infrastructures, such as high-speed railway and economic parks to help restore Silk Road and establish what he called a maritime Silk Road to meet the needs of the 21st century.