Vice Premier Hui Liangyu met with Spanish Minister of Environment Cristina Narbona in Beijing on Sunday, vowing to strengthen bilateral cooperation on water resources utilization.

Hui said water is a kind of basic natural resource and an economic resource of strategic importance. It is a common task for all countries to realize sustainable utilization of water resources.

He said he hoped China and Spain could carry out more fruitful and broad exchanges and cooperation in this field.

Hui also briefed the guest on China's ideas and policies in water resources management and utilization.

Narbona said China and Spain are having increasing exchanges and cooperation in environmental protection, and have great potential in expanding such cooperation in the future.

She said she was confident in the future cooperation between the two countries in water resources utilization, and will endeavor to push forward it.

Narbona is invited by the Ministry of Water Resources, and will attend the Sino-Spanish Water Forum and the Third International Yellow River Forum.

(Xinhua News Agency October 15, 2007)