PHNOM PENH, March 15 (Xinhua) -- China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has truly changed the lives and destinies of many people across the world, a Cambodian senior minister said here on Friday.

Speaking in a speech at the opening ceremony of the Shapingba Hotpot Carnival in Phnom Penh, Ly Thuch, a Cambodian senior minister in charge of special missions, said the BRI is a global initiative that has provided mutual benefits, win-win cooperation, and shared prosperity for all participating countries.

"The BRI has truly changed the lives and destinies of many people around the world, and Cambodia is one of the countries that has greatly benefited from this initiative," he said.

He added that the BRI has not only boosted the development of connectivity infrastructure, but also promoted people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

Meanwhile, Thuch expressed his heartfelt congratulations and appreciation to the Chinese government and people for all the great progress and achievements that China has achieved so far.

He said China has played a greater role on the international stage in ensuring peace, security, stability, common development, and shared prosperity toward building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Speaking of Cambodia-China ties, Thuch said the two countries have an "unbreakable" ironclad friendship and both sides are working together to build a high-quality, high-standard and high-level community with a shared future.

He was also grateful to the government and people of China for having provided assistance to Cambodia for economic, social, trade, and physical infrastructure development.