TEHRAN - A forum titled "Silk Road Economic Belt" kicked off in Iran's capital Tehran on Tuesday with its focus on the friendly exchanges and cooperation between China and the Islamic republic.

China and Iran are both countries with great civilization, and the long history of friendly exchanges between them has laid a solid foundation for the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative, He Xingliang, counselor of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, said at the forum held in Tehran's Niavaran Cultural Center.

There are great potential and broad prospects in bilateral cooperation, especially in the fields of resources and technology, the Chinese official said.

For his part, Head of Iran-China Friendship Association Ahmad Mohammadi hailed the role of China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative in the interaction between Iran and China.

Mohammadi said the interaction between the two countries has long existed, but has taken new dimensions with the initiative.

"The proposal has been well received in Iran, and the Islamic republic is preparing to accept the proposal," Mohammadi said.

In order to implement the project, the first step is to establish a secretariat of the project in China, he said, adding that it can be followed by sessions of the secretariat with the representatives from the participation states.

Meanwhile, deputy head of the faculty of international relations of Iran's Foreign Ministry, Mohammad Reza Dehshiri, said the Belt and Road Initiative is aimed at creating a friendly environment for better neighborhood in terms of political, economical and security dimensions.

The Islamic republic is determined to actively participate in the project, and believes that joining the plan would help the regional and international economic development, Dehshiri said.

On Tuesday, a Chinese cultural festival opened in Tehran with the aim to promote China-Iran exchange and cooperation.

The one-week event, titled "2016 Experience China in Iran," features China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region through a photo exhibition and cultural activities.