Turkish leader tells vice-premier he's eager for Belt & Road forum

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday he looked forward to attending the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation planned for May in China and to meeting President Xi Jinping.

Erdogan spoke during his meeting with visiting Vice-Premier Liu Yandong in Ankara, the Turkish capital. He requested that Liu convey his greetings to Xi and said his meetings with the president in recent years had promoted strong ties between Turkey and China.

The Turkish president said the region, as well as the world, will benefit from strengthened dovetailing of the development strategies and deepened cooperation in various fields between the two countries.