Representatives attend the 3rd Ukraine Silk Road Forum in Kiev, capital of Ukraine, on Nov. 16, 2018. The 3rd Ukraine Silk Road Forum was held here on Friday, bringing together about 800 officials, representatives of the business community and public figures from China and Ukraine. (Xinhua/Sergey)

The 3rd Ukraine Silk Road Forum was held in Kiev, capital of Ukraine on Friday, bringing together about 800 officials, representatives of the business community and public figures from China and Ukraine.

The forum, which was organized by the Ukrainian association of Belt and Road cooperation "Silk Link," is aimed at strengthening cooperation between China and Ukraine through closer business ties.

Addressing the event, Iryna Lutsenko, Ukrainian president's representative in the parliament, said that Ukraine attaches great importance to its strategic partnership with China and stands ready to deepen all-round cooperation.

"The sides have good prospects for cooperation in the field of basic infrastructure, industry, commerce, agriculture, energy, and in knowledge-intensive industries, such as aviation and joint exploration of space," Lutsenko said.

Ukraine and China have potential to more than double their annual trade turnover within the next five years to 20 billion U.S. dollars, Lutsenko said, adding that the Ukrainian authorities are ready to provide support to strengthening business ties between the two countries.

At the forum, the representatives of Chinese and Ukrainian businesses discussed a wide range of topics, including the development of the infrastructure along the Belt and Road, energy, investment, financial technologies and e-commerce.

Besides, several documents were signed during the forum, including a memorandum on construction of a waste recycling plant outside Kiev.

In addition, "Silk Link" has signed a memo with the Ukrainian Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which was purchased by China's Bohai Commodity Exchange Co., Ltd., on the creation of a joint e-commerce platform aimed at increasing Ukraine's exports to China.

Iryna Nikorak, the head of "Silk Link," said that the Ukrainian business is also willing to implement joint projects with Chinese partners in Ukraine.

"We plan to draw a maximum possible amount of investment from China to Ukraine in order to implement large-scale infrastructure and energy projects, develop the agricultural potential, create joint production facilities in Ukraine, produce high-quality value-added products and export them to European markets and to China," Nikorak said.

She emphasized that the Ukrainian business will strive to fully use the investment and commercial opportunities offered by the Belt and Road Initiative.

Apart from business discussions, the forum featured the Exhibition of Innovation Technologies, which showcased the latest achievements of China and Ukraine in the aerospace industry, augmented reality, energy efficiency, robotics and other areas.

Also during the forum, mayors of Ukrainian cities discussed prospects for cooperation with cities from other countries along Belt and Road.

The city of Melitopol in southeast Ukraine signed a memorandum on cooperation with the Silk Road Cities Alliance.

Wu Bixiu, secretary general of the Silk Road Cities Alliance, said the forum, which is held for the third year in a row, has become an important platform to promote all-round cooperation between China and Ukraine.

"Previously, we implemented cultural projects in Ukraine, introducing Chinese culture to Ukraine. In the future, we will help cities implement tourism projects and carry out youth exchanges," Wu said.