Chinanews.com, Hangzhou, December 12 (Tong Xiaoyu, Yingni) "What attracts us to the Belt and Road Initiative? Its value lies in supporting the Belt and Road countries to follow their own development paths, so that the world can return to multipolarity and diversification. Kamora Akirova, a meritorious cultural worker of the Republic of Uzbekistan and director of the Museum of Fine Arts of Uzbekistan, said.
As one of China's eight actions to support high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, the Liangzhu Forum was held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province on December 12.
The scene of the event. Photo by Chen Shuheng
In the speeches of representatives of the "Six Alliances of the Silk Road" and international cultural and art institutions, many representatives said that the foundation and attraction of the Belt and Road Initiative lies in the mutual understanding and appreciation between civilizations, and it embodies the concept of win-win cooperation.
Kamora Akirova said that China and Central Asia have been linked for a long time, and the link between the two is the Silk Road. Her homeland, Uzbekistan, is located in the hinterland of Central Asia, a key hub of the ancient Silk Road and the New Eurasian Land Bridge, a meeting place of Eastern and Western cultures, and an important component of the Belt and Road Initiative.
"At this stage, as stated in the initiative, Eurasia has a common destiny." In her view, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is striking in that the economy, politics and culture are seen as a whole, while emphasizing the economic component, which is a reliable foundation for common development in the modern world.
Chen Huixin, representative of the Silk Road International Library Alliance and executive director of the Qatar National Library, listed the following set of data: since the National Library of China initiated the establishment of the Silk Road International Library Alliance in May 2018, 5 institutions from 36 countries have joined the country.
The establishment of the alliance has also led to cultural exchanges and sharing. It is reported that the alliance has held a number of activities including the exchange of ideas and skills training. More recently, their work has focused on building digital libraries to provide greater access to library collections for people who may not have the time to go to the library or live far away.
"In ancient times, a number of cities along the Silk Road flourished due to commercial and cultural exchanges, and now the Belt and Road Initiative has provided a strong driving force for cities around the world to achieve sustainable development and common prosperity." This was stated by the representative of the Silk Road Tourism Cities Alliance and the mayor of Iguaçu, Brazil, Hico Blasileno.
Stella Klasolak, director of the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion in Greece, said that Greece and China have benefited greatly from the recognition and mutual appreciation of each other's cultural heritage treasures.
Greece is an important participant in the Belt and Road Initiative, and the two sides have been building bridges of communication through dialogue, setting a model of mutual learning among civilizations and a model for a new type of international relations.
Stella Claisolak said that today's forum is based on mutual understanding and appreciation among civilizations, and discussing new forms of museum cooperation is a challenging task, but also a responsible exploration. She hoped that the forum would be used to explore new ways of cooperation between museums and set a model for more fruitful collaborations in the future.
At the forum, Yijie Arika, representative of the Silk Road International Arts Festival Alliance and director of international relations of the Albanian Jazz Festival, sent two invitations to Chinese musicians: the 5th Balkan Jazz Festival in two years will be themed "China Meets the Balkans"; And next spring's Balkan Jazz Showcase, we hope to invite the cast and crew of the China Jazz Festival to participate.
In his view, there is a need to strengthen mutual cooperation and deepen cultural dialogue between the East and the West. He believes that, to a certain extent, we are a community that faces many common problems, but also seeks common solutions. "As a cultural institution, we are willing to make continuous efforts to promote intercultural dialogue." (ENDS)