Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan have vouched for globalization and the liberalization of world trade, in opposition to rising protectionist rhetoric in some nations. They spoke during the opening of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation that began Sunday (May 14) in Beijing.

The event is attended by almost 30 global leaders and is part of the One Belt One Road initiative introduced by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013 with the aim of advancing a common agenda and cooperation agreements to develop projects in infrastructure, trade, and economic cooperation across the more than 60 countries that make up what Beijing intends to establish as a new Silk Road, reviving the millenary routes that provided links for West-East trade, notably in Asian, European, and African countries.

“Openness threatened”

Putin pointed out the world has been facing serious challenges with the advance of protectionism. In his opinion, global problems cannot be solved with an outdated logic. “World openness is under threat. The global crisis poses challenges to international security, including terrorism and regional conflicts, which have been persistent. We need to find new forms of [multilateral] rapprochement while respecting [national] sovereignty,” he said.

He went on to say countries need to take concrete steps to reduce the infrastructure deficit and red tape in order to allow goods and services to flow faster through Eurasia. “[This] is a promising initiative,” he went on, referring to the proposals discussed at the forum.