DUSHANBE, January 12, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- On Wednesday January 11, visiting special envoy of Chinese President Hu Jintao, Ms. Chen Zhili, who is Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People''s Congress (NPC), met here with senior representatives of both chambers of Tajik parliament.

Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloyev, Chairman of the Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament), noted that Tajikistan attached significance to its relations with China.

Shavkat Saidov, an aide to the Majlisi Milli speaker, says that in the course of the talks, Ubaidulloyev, in particular, noted  that Tajikistan has always relied on the support of China, a close neighbor and a reliable partner, in its determination for development and prosperity since it gained independence twenty year ago.

A meeting of Ms. Chen with Amirsho Miraliyev, First Deputy Chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower house of parliament), focused on issues related to further expansion of cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries, Muhammadato Sultonov, a spokesman for the Majlisi Namoyandagon, said.

Ms. Chen arrived in Dushanbe yesterday for a two-day visit and the visit to Tajikistan is part of her tour of Central Asia’s countries that started on January 5 and will conclude on January 14.  Ms. Chen is attending activities celebrating the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the five nations, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.