The International Symposium on Regional Cooperation along the New Silk Road, sponsored by the China National New Silk Road Coordination Mechanism and the UNDP and organized by the China International Center for Economic & Technical Exchanges(CICETE) and Urumqi City Government, was held in Urumqi on August 26th-27th, 2004. Participants of this symposium included: Officials from China National New Silk Road Coordination Mechanism, mayors of seventeen cities along the new silk road, senior officials from five central Asian Countries, joined by academics, NGOs and business leaders from 16 countries, including Belarus, Japan, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Poland, the Netherlands, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, as well as representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the World Tourism Organization. Vice Premier Madame Wu Yi sent a message of congratulations to this international symposium. Mr. Wei Jianguo, Vice Minister of Commerce delivered a speech at the opening ceremony.

　 The main theme of NSRIS 2004 centers on cooperation and Development along the New Silk Road. The symposium had fruitful and effective discussions on a) how to support the existing Transportation Coordination Mechanism; b) how to improve the efficiency of customs declaration; c) how to increase transport capacity and d) how to provide efficient information services along the NSR, and finally came out the Urumqi Declaration. The Mayors' Forum attended by mayors from seventeen cities along the New Silk Road was held during the Symposium, and a Roadmap to Sustainable Tourism was developed for experience-sharing and policy reference purposes.