The Belt and Road Initiative can promote economic and cultural exchanges among various nationalities, which will bring harmony and peace to the world, according to guests at a forum in Beijing on Thursday.

The forum, themed as “One Belt and One Road: A New Cultural Bridge Linking various Nationalities and Civilizations”, is part of the fifth annual conference of the Taihu World Cultural Forum which aims to encourage people of all countries to work together to build a community of shared future for mankind.

At the forum, Essam Sharaf, former prime minister of Egypt, said that China’s “One Belt and One Road” is an important project that could not only promote the economic development of countries, but also connect different cultures along the routes.

Sharaf added that “building a community of shared future for mankind is the core of the Belt and Road Initiative.” He considered China-Africa cooperation as a win-win approach and a perfect model for building a community of shared future for mankind.

Isa Habibbayli, vice-president of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), Director of Institute of Literature of ANAS, said the main idea behind this forum is the economic and cultural integration on “One Belt and One Road”, which is a new model that China is introducing to the world. This new model helps countries around the world find a way for a mutual development, which will bring global harmony and peace, Habibbayli said.

Luiz Oosterbeek, professor at Polytechnic Institute of Tomar, Secretary-General of International Council for the Philosophy and Human Sciences, said the Belt and Road Initiative provides a channel for countries to closer a mutual understanding through cultural and economic exchanges.

He hoped the initiative can become a global strategy for a more integrated peaceful world.