Agung said the Indonesian parliament hoped to improve exchanges with the NPC on country administration, democracy and rule of law.

During a meeting with Seppo Kaariainen, first deputy speaker of the Finnish parliament, Wu said the relations between China and Finland had entered a new stage as the cooperation on telecommunication, energy saving, environmental protection and nano-technology furthered. He hoped the legislative organs of the two countries would maintain cooperation to enhance the relations between the two countries.

Kaariainen said developing the relations with China had been the consensus of the political circles of Finland. He believed the quake-hit Sichuan province would recover from the disaster at an early date.

The ASEP meeting started Thursday morning and will conclude on Friday. More than 100 paliamentarians from Asia and Europe participated in the meeting.

Wu Bangguo (R2), chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), meets with heads of the delegations attending the fifth Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting (ASEP) in Beijing.

(Xinhua News Agency June 20, 2008)