In its first decade of existence, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) led to 200 accords with 150 countries and 30 international organizations, and over 3,000 individual projects worth over $1 trillion. With that global reality in mind, as well as prospects for the future, the Chinese hosts of the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation made sure that every continent was represented in the half-dozen speeches delivered in the opening panel of the event.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, as the chief foreign guest of the event, stood next to Xi Jinping in the leaders’ photo and spoke immediately after him in the opening session. Putin centered his remarks on reviewing Russia’s infrastructure projects and their integration with the BRI.
”...Mr. Xi advanced a truly important and global idea that is spearheaded into the future, towards creating a fairer multipolar world and system of relations. It is a global plan, without a doubt. I agree with the President of China that the Belt and Road idea ties in logically with multilateral efforts to promote creative and constructive interaction throughout the international community.
“We pointed out on numerous occasions that Russia and China, just as the majority of other countries, share the striving for equal and mutually beneficial cooperation towards universal, sustainable and lasting economic progress and social welfare based on respect for the civilizational diversity and the right of every state to its own development model.…
