Interview: Belt and Road Initiative facilitates win-win cooperation in Iran-China relations: experts

The Belt and Road Initiative would further advance the win-win cooperation between Iran and China, Iranian experts have said.

The China-proposed initiative could promote interaction between the Iranians and Chinese and can be a turning point with win-win venture in bilateral ties, Mohammad H. Emadi, advisor to Iran's Agricultural Ministry, told Xinhua in an interview.

The Belt and Road Initiative is "a new paradigm and a turning point in the relationship between Iran and China and among all central Asian states," Emadi said.

The initiative, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, refers to building a Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. It is aimed at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along ancient trade routes.

The initiative can be a win-win venture for all the parties involved and facilitate people-to-people cooperation, Emadi said.

"It will give us a good opportunity to work with each other, to know each other more, to enjoy the diversity and difference of cultures, and to bring the people of the countries together closer than ever," he added.

Another expert, Mohsen Shariati Nia, at Tehran's Shahid Beheshti University, said the initiative could be a platform for the promotion of relations between Iran and China.

Iran and China should do more in order for the initiative to bear fruits, Shariati Nia said.

Since some financial sanctions by the West against Iran are still in place, he said, it would be a good idea to develop mechanisms for transactions between Iran on the one hand and and China and other countries involved in the initiative on the other.

In addition, the private sectors of both countries should engage in strategic cooperation and investment projects, so that short-term trade ties could grow into comprehensive economic interactions, Shariati Nia told Xinhua on the sidelines of a forum on "Silk Road Economic Belt," held in Iran's capital Tehran on Tuesday.

He said Iran's role in the "Silk Road Initiative" should be more than a mere link between East and West.

"Iran should play a key role as a partner of China, which will result in the strategic cooperation," Shariati Nia said.

The forum coincides with a week-long Chinese cultural festival in the Iranian capital.

Commenting on the festival, which opened at Niavaran Cultural Center in Tehran on Monday, Shariati Nia said such cultural activities will help understanding and communication between the nations.

The event, titled "2016 Experience China in Iran," showcases northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, featuring a photo exhibition, music and dance performances, and other cultural activities. Endit