FRANKFURT (ANA / L.Chotzoglou) --- The Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China Economic Information Service (CEIS), an affiliate of Xinhua News Agency, for the establishment of a Belt and Road Economic and Financial Information Partnership with the participation of other European media organisations and think-tanks, aiming at benefiting the countries along the Silk Road route by pushing forward their economic development and cultural exchange.

Τhe memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed at the inaugural ceremony held on December 1, in Frankfurt.

The partnership aims to build a "silk road of financial information," Kuang Lecheng, vice president of CEIS, said.

CEIS, a wholly-owned company of the Xinhua News Agency, is a leading economic information service provider in China. It was launched in 1987 as China's first English-language, real time economic and investment information service.

Based on principles of mutual respect and assistance, equality and win-win cooperation, CEIS and its partners will work together to build economic cooperation and interconnection, enhance global growth and contribute to the maintenance of world peace and stability.

"This partnership was formed to build better communication and trust between media and think tanks in countries along the Belt and Road," Li Yuling, Vice President of Xinhua, said to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency.

The Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA), DPA-AFX (Germany), Le Soir (Belgium), Class Editori (Italy), Polish News Agency, Metro (Britain), The Financial World (Spain), Open Communication(Spain), Tanjug News Agency (Serbia) were among the partners that signed the Memorandum of Understanding.

Apart from media organisations, several European think tanks participated in the event such as the Institute of International Relations (Greece), the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research (Greece), the European Institute for Asian Studies (Belgium), Thomas More Institute (France), Silk Road Connectivity Research Center (Serbia) and the Center for Poland-Asia Studies (Poland).