Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al Hariri called for broader cooperation with China under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The Beijing-proposed initiative aims to improve links between China and the rest of Eurasia and Africa.

“Our ancestors created the Silk Road, knowing its economic and social importance. Today this importance has doubled to push economic growth and combat poverty and unemployment,” the prime minister said.

Speaking at a Silk Road Conference in Beirut, Prime Minister Hariri said Lebanon has long been a friend and trading partner of China, adding that trade between the two nations can be increased further. He witnessed the signing of three agreements between Lebanese and Chinese enterprises.

China is Lebanon’s biggest trading partner. The two nations bought and sold $2.1 billion worth of each other’s goods last year.