Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday congratulated on the opening of a business forum, which was held in Kazakhstan's Astana to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Xi said in a video message the BRI has received wide attention from the international community and active responses from relevant countries since its proposal. 

"The coordination of national policies of the countries involved in the construction of the Belt and Road has been continuously strengthened; the implementation of major economic and trade projects has been accelerated; industrial and financial cooperation has been steadily advanced and people-to-people exchanges between countries have become closer, bringing tangible benefits to people of all countries," Xi noted.

Hailing Kazakhstan a strong supporter of the BRI and active participant in the initiative, Xi said China- Kazakhstan cooperation under the BRI has yielded fruitful results in the past five years.

China is willing to work with Kazakhstan and other relevant countries to seek common development and prosperity with an open and inclusive mind, and build the Belt and Road into a road to peace, prosperity, openness, innovation and civilization, Xi said.

The president said that he wished great success for the forum.