Putin to attend Belt and Road forum as chief guest — Kremlin aide
MOSCOW, October 16. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to attend the Belt and Road forum in Beijing as the chief guest, Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov told reporters.
"We are grateful to the Chinese leadership for the invitation to attend the forum. Notably, our president has been invited to attend as the chief guest. He will address the event’s opening ceremony right after [Chinese] President Xi Jinping," he pointed out.
Ushakov added that the heads of state and government from many countries would also attend the forum. "According to our preliminary estimates, 23 heads of state will be present in Beijing," he specified.
The Kremlin aide emphasized that Moscow supported China’s Belt and Road Initiative. "We can see that it goes well with our initiatives aimed at creating a greater Eurasian space, as well as with the activities of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). The EAEU and China have reached agreements in this regard and there is even a roadmap to boost cooperation," he noted.
The Belt and Road Initiative is a concept proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. The goal is to intensify international trade and investment projects involving a large number of nations along with the use of Chinese and foreign capital. Over 150 countries and 30 international organizations have already joined the initiative. The third Belt and Road Forum is set to take place in the Chinese capital on October 17-18.
