On the morning of September 15, local time, Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), who is here for an official goodwill visit to Russia, held talks with Boris Gryzlov, chairman of the Russian State Duma. The two also co-chaired the fifth meeting of the cooperation committee of the NPC and the State Duma.

Gryzlov first welcomed Chairman Wu to visit Russia again, saying that this visit is not only a major event in bilateral parliamentary exchanges, but also reflects close high-level exchanges between the two countries. The visit will surely have a major impact on long-term development of Russia-China relations.

Wu said this year is the tenth anniversary of the signing of the Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. With the joint efforts of both sides, Sino-Russian relations have achieved great development. In the political area, strategic mutual trust has deepened and the two countries have resolved border problems once and for all and supported each other on issues concerning their core interests. In the economic field, both sides have successfully implemented a number of large strategic projects and formed the pattern of all-round cooperation in trade, energy, science and technology and locality with quality and level of pragmatic cooperation improving significantly. In the area of humanities, with the success of "National Year" and "Language Year" in each other's countries, China-Russia friendship for generations has been deeply rooted in the hearts of both peoples. Both sides had also maintained close communication and coordination within the frameworks of the United Nations and the Group of 20 major economies, enhanced strategic coordination and jointly tackled global issues such as climate change, energy and food security, he said. "It is the strategic choice of the Chinese government and people to unswervingly develop the China-Russia relationship," Wu said. During Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to Russia in June, the two countries made a blueprint for development direction, objectives and tasks of China-Russia pragmatic cooperation in the next decade, pledging to build a comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation featuring equality, mutual trust, mutual support, common prosperity and lasting friendship, Wu said. "My visit is just to materialize the consensus reached by the two heads of state and keep pushing forward the bilateral relationship," he said.

On parliamentary exchanges, Wu pointed out that by using the regular exchange mechanism, the Chinese and Russian parliaments have conducted friendly exchanges and pragmatic cooperation in various fields and accumulated much valuable experience. First, in serving the overall development of state-to-state relations, both sides should strengthen Sino-Russian strategic cooperation from the parliamentary level, firmly support each other's choice of development path according to their own national conditions, back each other's efforts to maintain such core interests as sovereignty, security and development and support each other's development and revitalization. Second, both sides should strengthen and improve the regular parliamentary exchange mechanism, choose the subjects of dialogue and conduct candid dialogue according to the changing international situation and their domestic development needs. He also urged both sides to strengthen the exchange of experience in governing the country and developing democracy and legal system and learn from each other to better promote their respective development. Third, both sides should push forward pragmatic cooperation. The two sides should urge relevant government departments to launch priority cooperative projects at an early date and approve necessary pacts and agreements in a timely manner according to law and procedures so as to create a sound legal environment for pragmatic cooperation between the two countries, he said. Fourth, both sides should carry forward friendship for generations, widely publicize the concept of good-neighborly friendship and strengthen the friendly exchanges between the parliamentary leaders, special committees, friendship groups and parliamentarians, especially young parliamentarians to further enhance mutual understanding. They should also deepen awareness of the strategic value of China-Russia relationship and cultivate the new force of lasting friendship between China and Russia.

Gryzlov spoke highly of the regular bilateral parliamentary exchange mechanism, saying each exchange activity, with substantive content and positive results, has played an important role in promoting the development of state-to-state relations. To strengthen friendly and cooperative relations with China is a firm position of the Russian government and parliament and wins broad support from political parties and people. Russia is willing to make joint efforts with China to promote the Russia-China relations to develop at a high level.

In the afternoon, Wu visited the Russian National Emergency Management Center.

In the evening, Gryzlov held a welcome banquet for Chairman Wu.

Vice Chairman and Secretary General Li Jianguo of NPC Standing Committee attended the above activities.