Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, as he was welcomed to the Ancient Civilization Forum in Athens on Sunday evening.
“We have the pleasure of establishing this forum of great ancient civilizations, an idea of the two foreign ministers of Greece and China, as the two countries have marked the world’s cultural heritage with their ancient civilizations,” Tsipras said during the meeting with Wang.
The Ancient Civilization Forum is a Greek initiative with China as co-organizer, which will be held on Monday. It will be attended by 10 countries representing major ancient civilizations.
Greek President Pavlopoulos said his country looks forward to forging closer bilateral cooperation for the benefit of the two peoples, as well as the entire world.
“I believe that China, thanks to its great history and power, can play a significant role. That is why Greece as a member state of the EU appreciates China’s cooperation as very important not only for Greece but for the EU as a whole,” Pavlopoulos said.
Prime Minister Tsipras said he is very pleased to attend the upcoming Belt and Road Forum that will be held in Beijing in mid-May.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Athens, Greece on April 23, 2017. /Getty Images
Greece aims to make itself into an international transportation hub and such a goal highly matches the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, he said.
Wang welcomed Tsipras’ forthcoming attendance at the Belt and Road Forum, during which he could discuss major win-win plans with the Chinese side and inject new impetus to bilateral cooperation.
China will stick to the path of peaceful development while promoting a new type of international relations featuring cooperation and win-win, whereby China will work with the rest of the world to build “a human community with shared destiny”, Wang said.
Wang Yi also held a meeting with his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias earlier that day, and the two held a joint press conference after the meeting.
Wang spoke highly of the exchanges between China and Greece, hailing the mutual learning between the two ancient civilizations as exemplary.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias attend a press conference after a meeting. /VCG Photo
China and Greece have maintained a healthy, stable and smooth development momentum after establishing diplomatic relations 45 years ago. As partners in economy and trade, the two have been deepening cooperation in a variety of fields while upholding mutual benefits, said Wang.
Wang Yi cited Piraeus Port as a highlight of the bilateral cooperation, adding that it helps Greece to get rid of the impact of the financial crisis and sends a signal of China’s confidence in the prospect of Greece’s development.
The Chinese foreign minister said China and Greece have offered a solution to a world filled with turmoil and volatility, which is derived from their pasts as ancient civilizations. He said the two countries have provided the world with a win-win prospect.
Wang said the “Ancient Civilization Forum” has provided dynamism in both thought and culture for the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.
“The Ancient Civilization Forum and the Road and Belt Initiative can be essentially traced to the same origin,” he said.
Bolivia, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Mexico and Peru will attend the forum on Monday as well.
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Wang Yi also met with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif ahead of the forum, during which he said China stands ready to expand cooperation with Iran under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Zarif said that Iran welcomes and supports the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by the Chinese side, and is willing to promote its development through the Ancient Civilization Forum so as to achieve common development.
(Source: Agencies)
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