Top Chinese legislator meets Iranian parliament's speaker

Top Chinese legislator Zhang Dejiang held talks with Iran's Majlis (parliament) Speaker Ali Larijani on Wednesday and pledged to boost legislative cooperation between the two countries. Hailing the traditional friendship and the recent development of the bilateral ties, Zhang said the China-Iran relationship is in an important phase, with fruitful cooperation in various fields. He said the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani last month in Bishkek made clear the direction of the bilateral relationship in the new period. China cherishes its friendship with Iran, and stands ready to work together with the Iranian side to implement the consensus reached by the two presidents, and innovate in the means of cooperation to advance the bilateral relationship in a stable way, according to Zhang, chairman of China's National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee. He said legislature-to-legislature interactions are an important part of the China-Iran relationship, which plays an irreplaceable role in promoting mutual understanding and friendship between the people of the two countries as well as the bilateral relationship. The NPC is willing to step up exchanges and cooperation with the Iranian parliament, learning from each other on law making and legal supervision, and creating favorable environments for practical cooperation between the two countries, said the NPC Standing Committee chairman. Larijani said the Iranian side values its friendship with China and appreciates China's important role in international and regional affairs. He told Zhang that the purpose of his visit is to promote the relationship between the two legislatures and spur economic, energy and cultural cooperation between the two countries. Larijani is paying an official visit to China from Tuesday to Friday at Zhang's invitation.