Silk Road mayors relink and update historic ties   

“絲綢之路”11國19市長聚會國際旅游合作成熱點

中新社西安5月28日電 (張一辰)28日，來自絲綢之路沿線11個國家19個城市的市長(代表)會聚西安，就國家及城市間文化、旅游、經貿、科技等方面的交流與合作展開會晤，期間將簽署《2012“絲綢之路”城市市長會晤宣言》。

Xi'an (CNS) -- Nineteen mayors and their representatives from eleven countries along the Silk Road gathered in Xi'an city, Shaanxi Province on Monday and inked the 2012 Mayors' Declaration of Cities on the Silk Road.

The eleven countries are China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Egypt, Turkey, Italy, India and Montenegro.

The mayorial meeting is themed "friendship for generations; creating common prosperity." It aims to enhance exchanges and cooperation among the cities in the areas of culture, tourism, economy, trade, science and technology. Tourism cooperation is a major focus.

The Silk Road refers to the historical network of interlinked communities on trade routes across the Afro-Eurasian landmass. They connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world, as well as parts of North and East Africa.

Extending some 6,500 km, the Silk Road gets its name from the lucrative Chinese silk trade that originally defined it, which began during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE). The central Asian sections of the trade routes were expanded around 114 BCE by the Han dynasty, largely through the missions and explorations of Zhang Qian.