ULAN BATOR, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is the biggest project of the 21st century, providing broader opportunities for international cooperation, a Mongolian expert said.

"There are no other projects in the world like the BRI which connects (about) 70 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe and Oceania," Dashdorj Bayarkhuu, a professor at the Mongolian Diplomatic Academy, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

According to him, under the BRI framework, international cooperation in areas including infrastructure and the economy could benefit the whole world.

This year marks the fifth year since the BRI was first put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013 to expand cooperation and relations between China and other countries.

"Mongolia has supported the BRI from the onset and actively participated in it," Bayarkhuu said.

He added that Mongolia's wish to dovetail its Prairie Road development strategy with the BRI is an example of Ulan Bator's support for the initiative.

Highlighting landlocked Mongolia's geo-strategic location, he said it can gain a lot from the BRI. The construction of the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor, for example, will bring benefits to the Mongolian economy and all Mongolian citizens.

Mongolia and China should continue to deepen cooperation in this regard and accelerate the implementation of bilateral agreements as soon as possible, he added.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi last Friday met with the governors of five western provinces of Mongolia. The officials expressed their readiness to strengthen cooperation, especially with their neighboring Chinese provinces, in areas including agriculture, tourism, border trade, cultural exchanges and infrastructure.