Top legislator Wu Bangguo vowed on Monday to boost parliamentary exchanges with Greece in a bid to foster diplomatic ties between the two countries.

"Parliamentary exchange is an important component of the national relations. The National People's Congress (NPC) of China will play a positive role in boosting bilateral cooperation in this field," Wu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said in his meeting with visiting Greek Parliament President Anna Psarouda-Benaki.

Wu said that the NPC attached importance to ties with the Greek parliament and proposed more regular meetings between the foreign affairs committees of the two parliaments.

"(In this way) we can promote friendly exchanges between the various special committees and increase exchanges on the development of society, the economy and the legal system, as well as bilateral coordination on international and regional issues," Wu added.

Wu also spoke highly of the development of China-Greece relations, saying that the growth of the bilateral ties was in the interests of both sides.

"This year is the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and we are very pleased to see their remarkable development," Wu told Benaki.

Echoing Wu's views on bilateral relations and parliamentary exchanges, Benaki said that Wu's previous visit to Greece had promoted bilateral cooperation in economic, political and cultural fields.

Greek people are keen to improve relations with China, Benaki said, pledging that the Greek parliament would work with the NPC to develop bilateral ties.

(Xinhua News Agency April 17, 2007)