Visiting top legislator Wu Bangguo and Uruguay's President of Chamber of Deputies Julio Cardozo pledged during a meeting in Montevideo Monday to improve parliamentary exchanges to promote ties between the two nations.

 

Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), highlighted the role of parliament, saying parliamentary exchanges are an important part of relations between nations, and are playing an increasingly important role in the development of state to state relationship.

 

"China's NPC hopes to work with Uruguay's Chamber of Deputies to further enhance the friendly exchanges and cooperation," said Wu, who is in Uruguay for an official goodwill visit.

 

He said China's NPC and Uruguay's Chamber of Deputies have made positive contributions to the development of Sino-Uruguayan ties with frequent high-level contacts and exchanges.

 

Wu believed that pushing bilateral ties forward is the common wish of China and Uruguay, serves the basic interests of both countries and peoples, and is conducive to the development of China-Latin American ties, world peace and prosperity.

 

Cardozo said it is very important to improve relations with China, adding that Uruguay's Chamber of Deputies will join efforts with China's NPC to promote bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, and culture to make new contributions to the comprehensive development of bilateral ties.

 

Before talks with Cardozo, Wu met with Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez and Vice President Rodolfo Gustavo Nin Novoa, who is also president of Senate.

 

Wu arrived here on Sunday from Brazil and was expected to leave Uruguay for Chile on Tuesday, the last leg of his three-nation South American tour.

 

(Xinhua News Agency September 5, 2006)