China's NPC delegation visits Latvia

Latvia's Speaker of Parliament Solvita Aboltina (3rd R) meets with a National People's Congress (NPC) delegation of legislators from southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, headed by Padma Choling (3rd L), chairman of the Standing Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Regional People's Congress, in Riga, Latvia, March 20, 2014. (Xinhua/Guo Qun)

Latvia's Speaker of Parliament Solvita Aboltina meets in Riga on Friday with a National People's Congress (NPC) delegation of legislators from southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

The Chinese delegation is headed by Padma Choling, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Regional People's Congress.

Padma Choling said that this visit to Latvia aims to deepen mutual understanding and trust in a bid to further push forward bilateral ties.

China's Tibet has gone through important historical moments including peaceful liberation, democratic reforms, establishment of the autonomous region and opening up to the outside, among others, and realized the historical leap-forward on social system and economic and social development, thus created a miracle of the human society development.

The delegation introduced the social and economical changes in China's Tibet via personal stories.

The Chinese delegation members also answered questions on the system of national autonomous region, the use and development of the Tibetan language, religious freedom and other issues.

Latvian side attached great importance to development of relations with China, adhering to the one China policy and respect of China's core interests and major concerns, said Solvita Aboltina, adding that Latvia is hoping to communicate and cooperate with China in more fields.

The introduction of Tibet by the delegation is quite impressive, Solvita Aboltina said, extending hope to launch more face-to-face exchanges of such kind in the future.

The Speaker of the Latvian Saeima Solvita Aboltina, Vice chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Saeima, Chairman of Latvian-Chinese Friendship Group Sergrjs Potapkins, Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs State Secretary Andrejs Pildegovics also met with the delegation.