Belt and Road significant to Mongolia, people around world -- academic

The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a world-class project that is significant to people around the world, a Mongolian academic said Wednesday.

"The BRI is a world-class project that offers great opportunities for cooperation between China and the rest of world in a wide range of areas, including infrastructure and trade," said Gelegpil Chuluunbaatar, first vice president of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, in an interview with Xinhua on Wednesday.

The BRI aims to build infrastructure and trade networks in areas along ancient trade routes to seek common development and prosperity. Chuluunbaatar described the initiative as "the most impressive development project of this century," saying it "is significant to not only us, but also people around the world."

The Mongolian scholar believed that his country will benefit a lot from the initiative proposed by China in 2013.

"Mongolia shares its 4,710-km land border with China, which is one of the world's fastest-growing economies and world's second-largest economy," he said.

"People all over the world have admired the achievements of China's socio-economic development in recent years. China is our country's main trade partner and biggest export destination," said Chuluunbaatar.

Mongolia has great potential to reap tangible benefits from the BRI, he said.

"Particularly, Mongolia has integrated its Development Road Initiative with the BRI," he added.

"I am fully confident that the integration will promote the landlocked Mongolia's development in various sectors such as infrastructure and economy," he said.

Regarding the BRI, China calls for win-win cooperation, mutual benefit and an alignment with the local development strategy in its implementation.

Chuluunbaatar said it is the right choice for Mongolia to accept an invitation to ride on China's "express train of development" and make more efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation with China.