A nongovernmental international multilateral cooperation platform for agricultural education, research and innovation was launched at the ongoing China Yangling Agricultural Hi-tech Fair, marking a new stage of collaboration in the sector among countries in the Silk Road Economic Belt.

The agreement to establish a Silk Road Agricultural Education and Research Innovation Alliance was signed on Friday at Northwest A&F University by more than 120 representatives of 59 universities and research institutes in 12 countries including China and Russia.

According to Sun Qixin, president of the university in Yangling, Shaanxi province, the nongovernmental, nonprofit alliance aims to promote agricultural research and development among member agricultural universities, research institutes and enterprises in countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt.

Through peaceful cooperation, openness, tolerance and mutual learning, Sun said the alliance would promote further close cooperation among its members on personnel training, scientific research, technology promotion, cultural exchange and policy research, in order to speed up agricultural scientific and technological progress and development.

"The alliance will hold a regular cooperation forum for Silk Road agricultural education and scientific research as part of efforts to promote cooperation among members," Sun said.

Northwest A&F University, one of China's top agricultural schools, has put special focus over the past decade on promoting cooperation with the universities and institutes in countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt. About 60 percent of its more than 1,000 foreign students are from such countries.

This year's China Yangling Agricultural Hi-tech Fair, an annual agricultural promotion event approved by the central government, runs until Wednesday, and attracted more than 450 governmental officials, experts and enterprises' representatives from 45 countries.