Representatives of Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation took part in The International Symposium on July 2^nd-4^th, 2017, dedicated to the Development Strategy and Framework Program "The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road", known as B & R / Belt and Road , initiated by the president of China Mr. Xi Jinping. The Strategy aims to strengthen the  cooperation between the People's Republic of China and the Eurasian continent.

The Symposium Organizer, the Natural Sciences Foundation of the People's Republic of China, has developed an "Action Plan for Science - Talent-Future", in which it expresses the readiness to organize target activities jointly with other foundations and to choose and finance distinctive research groups with general scientific objectives of silk road countries jointly with the partner Foundations. About 30 different scientific organizations, scientific foundations, science and technology policy agencies attended the Symposium. At the plenary sessions and workshops of the symposium the following goals of the BRF-Belt & Road Funding Framework were discussed:

1. Deepening international cooperation in the field of science and technology in the Silk Road countries;
2. Cooperation within the international centers for the development of joint research;
3. Developing multinational research strategies and action plans;
4. Creating academic exchange programs and promoting the mobility of scientist.

The Director General of Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation, Ms. Manana Mikaberidze presented the mission, goals and objectives of the Foundation to the participants of the Symposium, introduced the activities of the foundation and expressed their readiness to deepen international cooperation. National Science Foundation is planning active participation in the future activities of BRFF.

It is noteworthy, that on July 5^th, 2017, the Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Foundation of Natural Sciences of the People's Republic of China and the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation, which aims to administer joint grant competitions, to carry out scientific activities and to perform other activities.