Chen Changzhi, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), met in Beijing Wednesday with a delegation of the Progressive Party of the Working People of Cyprus led by General Secretary Andreas Kyprianou.

Chen said the bilateral friendly cooperation had achieved continuous development in such areas as politics, economic and trade, technology and culture since the two countries forged diplomatic ties in 1971.

China values the friendly relations with Cyprus and is ready to work with the country to further bilateral ties, Chen noted.

Chen said the NPC attached great importance to the friendly exchanges between the NPC and the House of Representatives of Cyprus, and was willing to carry out various forms of exchange with it.

Kyprianou is visiting China at the invitation of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee.

The Progressive Party of the Working People is a communist-allied party in the Republic of Cyprus, which has the biggest number of seats in the island's House of Representatives but not a majority.

(Xinhua News Agency September 10, 2009)