Belt and Road Forum’s Leader Roundtable opens in Beijing

 Leaders from 29 countries, the UN, WB and IMF took part in a roundtable discussion on May 15 as part of the Belt and Road Forum, which is underway in Beijing, China.

The Vietnamese delegation was headed by President Tran Dai Quang.

Opening the function, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of multilateral cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, which aims at peace, stability, and development.

Participating leaders agreed to boost international collaboration through the promotion of cooperative mechanisms and development strategies in the region and in the world, including the Belt and Road Initiative.

They stressed their commitments to increasing engagements in industry, trade, investment, finance, infrastructure development, and science-technology and to assisting the participation of micro and small enterprises in the global value chain.

They said they will foster connectivity among nations and support the growth of underdeveloped and developing countries, while enhancing people-to-people exchange, and cultural and educational cooperation.

Adapting to climate change, particularly the management of natural resources and sustainable growth, was also said to be the key to the collaboration, which values peace, transparency, inclusiveness, equality, and mutual benefit and respect. 

The leaders talked about principles of cooperation, which highlights the common respect for the UN Charter’s goals and principles, international law, national sovereignty, cultural diversity and sustainability. 

They also agreed to build and implement joint projects based on consultation and combine the roles of the market, enterprises and government.

Speaking at the discussion, President Quang said Vietnam supports initiatives on trade and regional connectivity, including the Belt and Road Initiative.

Vietnam is willing to join other nations to study and implement projects that could bring mutual benefits and sustainability, he said.

He proposed that the Belt and Road partnership need to be in line with the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and prioritise practical projects and voluntary and equal collaboration.

The President also talked about Vietnam’s efforts to connect transport with neighbouring countries and help landlocked nations take part in the global trade system.

He stressed the necessity of convenient and effective transport infrastructure to link up countries and regions across the globe.  

He said to come up with a long-term vision and plan for transport connectivity, international institutions could study and assess overall conditions, thus suggesting key sectors for investments.

Quang took the occasion to brief participants on the APEC Year 2017 hosted by Vietnam and noted Vietnam has been working together with APEC member economies to push ahead the Asia-Pacific partnership.

The roundtable discussion ended with a Joint Statement that affirms the responsibilities of countries in boosting peace and mutually beneficial partnership in line with the UN Charter and international law toward inclusive and sustainable growth.

The same day, President Quang and his spouse left Beijing for Vietnam, concluding the five-day visit to China.-VNA