Chinese Top Legislator Meets Latvian Parliament Leader

Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), met Thursday with Rihards Piks, the first deputy chairman of the Latvian parliament.

Sino-Latvian friendship and cooperation has been growing steadily since the establishment of their diplomatic relations in 1991, Li said, noting that China develops its relations with Baltic countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence. China respects Latvia's path of development in line with its national characteristics, and hopes to promote mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation with Latvia, he said.

China hopes that peace, stability and prosperity in the Baltic region will continue, he added.

Li said that the NPC places great importance on friendly exchanges with the Latvian parliament, and hopes that leaders of the two parliaments as well as committees and groups in the two parliaments will increase exchanges in the years ahead.

He said he believes that Piks' visit to China will help promote friendly exchanges between the two countries and parliaments.

China appreciates the Latvian government's adherence to the One-China policy, and hopes that the two sides will have more exchange of views on issues of mutual concern, in order to promote mutual understanding and expand common ground.

Piks said that China is one of the first countries to recognize Latvia, and Latvia is grateful for that, noting that the Latvian parliament is willing to increase exchanges with the Chinese NPC.

He said the fact that his delegation includes members of different political parties in Latvia reflects the positive attitude of the Latvian parliament toward developing relations with China.

He also extended an invitation from Chairman Janis Straume of the Latvian parliament to Li Peng for a visit to Latvia. Li accepted the invitation.

Piks praised China's economic achievements, and said that Sino-Latvian cooperation has a promising future.



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