QINGDAO -- The Green Development Forum of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Countries opened on Monday in the coastal city of Qingdao, in east China's Shandong Province, with a focus on joint efforts to put the environment at the heart of economic development.

The two-day event, themed "Joining hands in green development, together promoting harmony between man and nature", is co-hosted by the SCO Committee on Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation, the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the People's Government of Shandong Province and the SCO Secretariat.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the forum on Monday, in which he pointed out that it is the consensus of SCO countries to protect the environment and promote green development.

China hopes to strengthen communication and cooperation in the field of green development with all parties via the forum, to boost the sustainable economic and social development of all countries and promote harmonious coexistence between human and nature, Xi said.

The event will include the opening ceremony, one main forum and three parallel sub-forums; "Year of Ecology of the SCO 2024", "Technological Innovation for Green and High-Quality Development", and "Climate Action for Green and Low-Carbon Transition".

More than 350 guests from China and overseas, including leaders, representatives of environmental authorities, entrepreneurs, experts and scholars, and representatives of international organizations, are gathering at the forum to share their insights on advancing green development.

An initiative was launched during the forum to deepen cooperation among SCO countries in green energy, green industry, response to climate change, ecological protection and other fields.

The forum is the first large event held by China after assuming the rotating SCO presidency, and the first high-level event among SCO countries with a focus on green development.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a permanent intergovernmental international organization established on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai with its founding members being the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.