SOFIA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The fourth international scientific conference on "The Silk Road" kicked off here on Thursday, bringing together sinologists and other specialists, involved in various aspects of Chinese studies.
During the two-day event, organized every two years by the Confucius Institute at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, researchers from countries such as China, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Slovenia and Lithuania presented reports covering topics from the Silk Road as a link between civilizations, to Chinese language and literature.
"The topics of this conference are so diverse that they cover all aspects of Chinese history and culture, and the reports range from medieval Chinese poetry to contemporary Chinese economic policy," Prof. Anastas Gerdjikov, rector of the Sofia University, said at the opening ceremony.
Aksiniya Koleva, Bulgarian director of the Confucius Institute in Sofia, said in turn that many of the presented papers explored topics directly or indirectly related to the ancient Silk Road -- the first global network for exchange of goods, ideas, culture.
Chinese Ambassador to Bulgaria Zhang Haizhou, who also addressed the opening ceremony, said that the Belt and Road Initiative was launched by China, but provides opportunities for the whole world.
This initiative has gradually transformed from concept into action, from vision to reality, and has achieved great results, the ambassador said in the presence of Atanas Krastin, Foreign Policy secretary of the president of the Republic of Bulgaria.
Zhang said he hoped that the participants would make full use of this conference as a platform for brainstorming, and would make constructive suggestions to deepen Belt and Road cooperation.
