On October 24, Chinese Ambassador Zou Xiaoli attends the opening ceremony of the ASEM Seminar on Science, Technology & Innovation for Sustainable Development. The seminar was also attended by Greek Alternate Minister for Research and Innovation Fotakis, Secretary General of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology Xu Jianpei, Deputy Director General of Beijing Municipal Commission for Science and Technology (BMCST) Zhu Shilong, Head of PRAXI Network of the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH) Christofilopoulos, European Commission representatives and other more than 100 officials, entrepreneurs and experts from China, Greece and other ASEM countries.

The event was organized by the PRAXI Network/FORTH in cooperation with the BMCST, under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs and the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the aim of  implementing the ASEM initiatives through further exploring the potential of cooperation between Asia and Europe on S&T which could provide support to the sustainable development of the economy for both sides.

In his welcome speech, Alternate Minister Fotakis briefed the participants about S&T development of Greece and Europe and their international cooperation participation. He said that how to support the economy through research and innovation has become a globally popular challenge, and there's a need for new approaches and a vision in which research and innovation will play its significant role in fostering a knowledge intensive economy. He stressed that, the ASEM initiative of establishing an ASEM Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Center is a catalyst towards this goal. Greece, in this context, is willing to set up, jointly with China, the European Coordination office of ASEM Cooperation Center for Science Technology and Innovation that operates within the framework of ASEM initiative for science, technology and innovation.  

For his part, Secretary General Xu Jianpei said when addressing the Seminar that, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang advocated establishing an ASEM Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Center during the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting in 2014. Over the past two years, member countries of Eurasia, the co-sponsor Greece in particular, have been very supportive in the establishment of the Center and the advancement of its work, enormously promoting exchanges and interaction between researchers and innovation personnel of Eurasian countries. It is fair to say that the ASEM Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Center is a perfect bridge between Asia and Europe in the field of S&T innovation, embodying the themes of Innovation, Interconnection and Integration.

He stressed that as the 1st ASEM Seminar on Cooperation in Science, Technology & Innovation for Sustainable Development has been convened in Beijing last year, participants of the second session of the Seminar here in Athens could have better discussion on following up ASEM initiatives, creating an Asia-Europe S&T innovation cooperation platform and pushing for further discussions on Eurasia S&T innovation and practical cooperation.