The third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation opens on Wednesday morning in Beijing, China. — AFP/VNA Photo

BEIJING — President Võ Văn Thưởng and a high-ranking delegation from Việt Nam attended the opening ceremony of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF 3) in Beijing on Wednesday at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of China Xi Jinping.

The forum, under the theme "High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity", drew the participation of more than 4,000 delegates from 140 countries and 30 international organisations.

At the event, the state leaders and other participants spoke highly of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with an array of cooperation programmes and projects in the fields of transport, energy, digital economy, education, health care and science-technology, among others.

Cooperation under the initiative has contributed to promoting regional connectivity, green transition and digital transformation, while bolstering friendship and mutual understanding among peoples.

Towards a bright and prosperous future for residents, the leaders agreed to enhance coordination with a view to mobilising resources for socio-economic development in their countries, enhancing connectivity of economies, and ensuring environmental and financial sustainability and social harmony.

In his remarks, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President Xi Jinping highlighted the initiative’s achievements in the past decade, including formation of economic corridors, roads and railways; and investment in clean energy development, information infrastructure, human resources development, environmental and ecosystem protection, art and cultural and art exchanges, and business connectivity.

He described the achievements as a foundation for the next “golden decade” of the initiative, and laid stress on the three principles of "planning together, building together, and benefiting together.".

Xi also announced eight actions to support high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, including building a multidimensional Belt and Road connectivity network, supporting the building of an open world economy, and advancing practical cooperation to support high-quality Belt and Road construction. Also included in the actions are promoting green development, advancing scientific and technological innovation, supporting people-to-people exchanges, promoting integrity-based Belt and Road cooperation, and strengthening institutional building for international Belt and Road cooperation.

Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres congratulated achievements under the BRI, which are a vivid illustration for commitment to promoting multilateralisation, implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and actions for peace, cooperation, and sustainable development and prosperity.

He also pointed out major challenges, including shortage of infrastructure, rising inequality, existential threat of climate breakdown, and reversing progress on the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.

He highlighted that countries should find and fund ways to generate economic growth, create decent jobs, transform energy systems, and advance sustainable solutions for the 21st century.

The BRI demonstrates that countries have a historic opportunity to build modern, green cities, communities and transportation and power systems that place resilience and sustainability at the heart, helping deliver services and decent jobs for people in a sustainable manner, he added. — VNS