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BRI cooperation, based on principle of planning, building & benefiting together – Xi
Chinese President Mr. Xi Jinping says that the Belt and Road cooperation is based on the principle of “planning together, building together, and benefiting together.”
“China can only do well when the world is doing well. When China does well, the world will get even better,” he said.
He made these remarks while addressing the 3rd Belt and Road Forum opening ceremony which kicked off at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing this morning (18).
What has been achieved in the past 10 years demonstrates that Belt and Road cooperation is on the right side of history. It represents the advancing of our times, and it is the right path forward, President Xi added.
China will work with its BRI partner countries to strengthen the building of multilateral cooperation platforms covering energy, taxation, finance, green development, disaster reduction, anti-corruption, think tank, media, culture and other fields, President Xi further said.
8 steps
President Xi also announced eight major steps China will take to support the joint pursuit of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.
These are : building a multidimensional Belt and Road connectivity network, supporting an open world economy, carrying out practical cooperation, 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.
Historic opportunity
Meanwhile, addressing the event, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday said the Belt and Road Initiative provides historic opportunity while hailing its contribution to global infrastructure.
The UN chief also said that there can be no development without development support, and many developing countries will be starved of the infrastructure they desperately need.
“This is why this meeting and the Belt and Road (Initiative) are so important,” he added.
“The Belt and Road (Initiative) demonstrates that we have a historic opportunity to build more than green cities, communities and transportation and power systems,” he said.
“Together, with the contribution of the Belt and Road Initiative, we can turn the infrastructure emergency to infrastructure opportunity,” said Guterres.
A host of world leaders
The opening ceremony of the 3rd Belt and Road Initiative forum was participated by world leaders from 20 nations as well as representatives from over 130 countries and 30 international organizations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also addressed the gathering.
The forum also featured three high-level sub-forums on connectivity, green development, digital economy, as well as several seminars.
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe attended the opening ceremony, where leaders from various states were accorded military honours and gathered for a group photograph alongside the Chinese President.
– Shanika Jayasekara reporting from Beijing
(Pics : Xinhua)
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Kandy Lake cleaned up after “Siri Dalada Vandanawa” (Pics)
Following the ten-day “Siri Dalada Vandanawa” religious veneration, a special clean-up operation was carried out at the Kandy Lake by the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Navy.
During this operation, plastic bottles, packaging materials and other waste that had been discarded into the lake were removed, restoring the Kandy Lake to its natural state.
The operation was led by Commander Weerasekara and Captain Charitha Gunawantha of Sri Lanka Navy, with the participation of teams from Clean Sri Lanka, the Department of Irrigation and the Department of Archaeology. The initiative also received strong support from volunteer groups and members of the public.
Kandy Lake has long been a major attraction for both local and international tourists visiting Kandy. However, the accumulation of plastic and other waste materials in the lake poses a serious threat to water sources and aquatic life.
Under the Clean Sri Lanka programme, special attention has been given to protecting the environment, with the aim of fostering an environmental, social and moral awakening within the country and thereby uplifting society to a higher level. A series of initiatives have been launched to cultivate a sense of civic responsibility among the public and to promote the maintenance of a cleaner, waste-free environment.
Accordingly, the Clean Sri Lanka programme was actively implemented across the Kandy city area throughout the past ten days, coinciding with the “Siri Dalada Vandanawa”.
(President’s Media Division)
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SLIMFA Media Fest inaugurated (Pics)
Acting High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka – Dr. Satyanjal Pandey, and Minister of Mass Media and Health – Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, jointly inaugurated the first-ever Media Fest organized by the Sri Lanka-India Media Friendship Association (SLIMFA) today at Taj Samudra, Colombo.
Under the theme ‘Navigating the New Media Landscape Together,’ the two-day Media Fest from 25-26 April 2025 will explore contemporary media trends and innovations. Key focus areas include AI in journalism, mobile journalism, media monetisation, data journalism, disinformation and fact-checking, content creation and audio journalism. As the first-of-its-kind in Sri Lanka, it will feature keynotes, panel discussions, breakout sessions and networking opportunities.
The event provides a unique platform for professional development and for fostering collaboration between media professionals from India and Sri Lanka. Experts from India including Ms. Palki Sharma, Managing Editor at Firstpost; Mr. Siddhant Sibal, Assistant Foreign Affairs Editor at WION;Mr. Shailesh Shekhar, Chief Synergy Officer at India Todayand Mr. L.V. Krishnan, CEO of TAM Media Research in collaboration with experts from Sri Lanka will exchange and discuss best practices with the registered participants from the media and business community locally.
SLIMFA, inaugurated in May 2024, under the patronage of the High Commission of India, Colombo is aimed at strengthening media ties between the two countries. Since its inception, the Association has conducted multiple initiatives, including panel discussions and roundtables, focusing on key media-related topics. It is a significant initiative to further bolster the people-to-people connection between the two civilisational twins.
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President makes sudden visit to Kandy (Pics)
President Anura Kumara Disanayake last night (April 24) conducted an inspection tour of Kandy city to inspect the “Siri Dalada Wandanawa” and the related issues that have emerged.
The President held an urgent meeting with relevant officials to address issues related to the provision of facilities and sanitation for devotees visiting the “Siri Dalada Wandanawa”.
Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Minister K.D. Lalkantha, Diyawadana Nilame of the Sri Dalada Maligawa Nilanga Dela Bandara, Acting Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasuriya, Army Commander Lieutenant General Lasantha Rodrigo, Governor of the Central Province Prof. Sarath Abeykoon, Kandy District Secretary Indika Udawatte and others participated in this meeting.
(President’s Media Division)
Batalanda commission report handed over to the AG
Ex-SLTB Vice Chairman granted bail
