Hakan Barcin, councilor of Izmir in Turkey, attends the third Senior Seminar of "Belt and Road" Talent Development Program in Xiamen, Fujian province from Oct 21 to 26. [Photo/fao.xm.gov.cn]

Hakan Barcin, councilor of Izmir in Turkey, together with the director of the city's foreign affair and tourism department, attended the third Senior Seminar of "Belt and Road" Talent Development Program in Xiamen, Fujian province from Oct 21 to 26.

On Oct 25, Lin Na, deputy inspector of Xiamen's Foreign Affairs Office, met with the two Turkish officials.

Lin said that Xiamen values its friendship with Izmir and expressed hope that they will continue to deepen their understanding of Xiamen during their stay in the city.

Councilor Barcin, visiting Xiamen for the first time, was impressed by the hospitality of the city's residents.

He said that Xiamen and Izmir have promising cooperation prospects, seeing as the two cities share a similar geographical location, population size and tourism resources.

Barcin conveyed greetings from Izmir's newly-elected Mayor Tunç Soyer.

According to Barcin, Mayor Soyer recognizes the important role Xiamen plays in the Belt and Road Initiative and hopes to promote practical cooperation with the city in various fields. The mayor also expressed hope that the Chinese city will establish an office in Izmir and has even found an appropriate place for it.

The "Belt and Road" Talent Development Program, sponsored by the International Cooperation Center of National Development and Reform Commission and Tanoto Foundation, has trained a total of 314 senior officials, business elites and scholars from 24 countries and regions since its launch in 2017.

This year's seminar welcomed 36 trainees from 12 countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.