On February 20, during a visit to China, Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani visited Renmin University of China (RUC) and delivered a speech with the theme "Iran and China: on Road Toward Shared Future" in the "Chongyang Forum" , series forums organized by Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies of RUC (RDCY).

The participants attending the event included Mohammad Keshavarz Zadeh, Iranian Ambassador to China, Farhad Dejpasand, Iranian Finance Minister, Mohammad Alijafar, iIranian Speaker's Adviser, Gholamreza Tajgardoon, Gholamreza Tajgardoon, Director of the Parliamentary Budget Committee, Li Xueyong, Member of the Standing Committee and Head of the China-Iranian Friendship Group of the National People's Congress of China, Pang Sen, Chinese Ambassador to Iran, Hua Liming, Former Chinese Ambassador to Iran and Senior fellow of RDCY, Wu Sike, Former Chinese Special envoy to the Middle East and senior fellow of RDCY, Liu Rui, deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Bureau of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, and other guests.

Liu Wei, President of the RUC, gave a welcome speech firstly. He said that the friendship between China and Iran has a long history. As early as 2,000 years ago, the ancient Silk Road closely linked the two countries. He noted that China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative has brought new opportunity for China-Iran relations development. RUC always attached great importance to the culture and educational exchanges and cooperation with Iran and other countries along the Belt and Road, and has established close relationship with research institutions in Iranian universities, he added.

In the keynote speech, Larijani stated that Belt and Road initiative proposed by China is striving to establish a spiritual bond and build a basis for mutual understanding between countries, and to help the countries in the world form a local development model. It advocates shared responsibility and goes towards a community of shared future for mankind. He emphasized that in the past 40 years, Iran has played an active role in the regional and international affairs and Iran is willing to join hands with China to strengthen cooperation in the fields of transportation, infrastructure and energy under the framework of Belt and Road and build an international society in which human beings determine their destiny together.

After Larijani’s speech, Wang Wen, Executive Dean of RDCY and Li Yongqiang, President of Renmin University of China Press, presented him with BRI studies series by RDCY and "New Ideas, New Approaches and New Strategies of Governance" by China Renmin University Press.

The forum was moderated by Du Peng, Vice President of Renmin University of China.

The event was hosted by RUC, organized by RDCY, and sponsored by Renmin University of China Law School, School of Marxism Studies, School of International Studies, School of Journalism and Communication. More than 200 staffs and students from Renmin University of China participated in the event.

RDCY established a good relationship with Iranian political and academic circles in 2014. The two sides visit frequently and have in depth exchanges. RUC delegations went to Iran twice for investigation and Iranian delegations visited RUC many times. The two sides jointly held several "China-Iranian Think Tank Dialogues" over the past years and signed the first international think tank cooperation agreement to jointly build Belt and Road through the cooperation of the official and academic organizations between China and Iran, forming a new model of think tank cooperation to promote the construction of Belt and Road.

>>>Chongyang Forum: Iranian parliament speaker to deliver speech on Iran-China relations