First of all, I sincerely congratulate the International Finance Forum (IFF) for holding the inaugural meeting of the Silk Road International Alliance in this beautiful city of Hangzhou. I have always been a strong supporter of IFF, and I will send my speech every year at the IFF Global Conference. Dear members of the International Finance Forum (IFF) have unparalleled experience that has allowed IFF to grow and expand, not just in the international economy and finance.

President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road policy leads the current events and relieves the people’s worries. As early as the Tang Dynasty, the Silk Road was the only link to the world, long before the discovery of the American continent. The rapid development of science and technology has made the world smaller and smaller. The Belt and Road Initiative will make the world smaller and more connected.

I firmly believe that the Silk Road International Alliance, founded by IFF, will definitely make a great contribution to the realization of the goals of the Belt and Road Initiative. IFF members will also fully invest in the vision of the modern Silk Road.

I sincerely hope that the conference will be a complete success. Thank you!
 

(This article is a speech by Mr. Ban Ki-moon at the speech of the first Silk Road International Alliance Conference in 2017)