BRUSSELS, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Eric Dumas, chief executive officer (CEO) of Belgium's Ostend-Bruges International Airport, said on Tuesday that the airport aims to become another main air gateway between China and Europe "in the very near future."

He made the remarks at an online awards ceremony for the "Aircraft Painting Competition," which the airport organized during the Spring Festival this year to celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations between Belgium and China.

Referring to the 50th anniversary, Dumas said: "This is important for us. The airport of Ostend-Bruges has enjoyed fruitful achievements and happy development for collaborating with Chinese partners, especially since the Belt and Road Initiative was carried out."

"The airport's cooperation with China has hardly been affected by the corona crisis, which gives us more confidence and more determination to deepen our cooperation with China," he added.

The airport is about 25 km from the center of Bruges. Nestled close to the Belgian coast and the Dutch border, it is referred to as the gateway to the most prosperous part of Europe.

The airport has been an integral part of the Belt and Road Initiative for years. In 2020, it inaugurated new "Air Silk Road" direct cargo flights from Ostend to several Chinese cities, including Shanghai, Nanchang and Shijiazhuang.

Zheng Baoguo, educational counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Belgium, said at the ceremony: "It is hoped that Ostend-Bruges Airport will seize the opportunity to play a greater role in participating in the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and becoming an air transportation hub connecting China to Belgium and Europe." Enditem

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