The Hindu : Front Page : Enduring friendship will continue, says Somnath

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 22, 2006
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Front Page

Front Page

Enduring friendship will continue, says Somnath

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: A dynamic India-China relationship is of global significance and will lead to peace, stability and prosperity not only in Asia but the world as a whole, Chinese President Hu Jintao said during his 30-minute "very pleasant interaction" with Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee here on Tuesday afternoon.

Mr. Chatterjee and Rajya Sabha Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat were among those who called on Mr. Hu. Both Mr. Chatterjee and Mr. Shekhawat later said their meetings were extremely cordial and both had been extended invitations to visit China.

During his meeting with Mr. Shekhawat, Mr. Hu pointed out that India and China together have one-third of the total world population and peace between them and prosperity for their peoples mean peace and prosperity for the world.

Closer exchanges

In his meeting with the Speaker, Mr. Hu said the memorandum of understanding signed between the Parliament of India and the National Peoples' Congress during a recent visit to China by Mr. Chatterjee had "injected a fresh driving force for closer exchanges between the two Parliaments." He suggested extending such exchanges to the level of state Legislatures.

Mr. Chatterjee, who was part of the 1980s Kotnis delegation to China, was described by Mr. Hu as "an old friend".

Mr. Chatterjee described the meeting as "very good and very positive" and added both felt "the process of enduring friendship between the two countries would continue."