Shenzhen, May 26th--Song Tao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee met here today on the afternoon with a delegation led by Anand Sharma, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Department and Deputy Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha of the Indian National Congress (INC), who was attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Political Parties Forum.

Song welcomed Sharma to attend the First SCO Political Parties Forum as the representative of the INC, and hoped major political parties of the SCO member states including the INC to give play to the leading roles of political parties, so as to promote the building of the “SCO community with a shared future”.

Song expressed that President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held an informal meeting in China this April. Both sides reached important consensus on developing a strategic cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity, jointly guiding China-India relations to maintain a sound development momentum. The CPC has maintained friendly exchange relations with the INC for a long time. Under the current situation, it is hoped the two parties can strengthen high-level exchanges, implement mechanism exchanges, learn from each other’s experience on party governance and state administration, and deepen coordination and cooperation at local and international levels, so as to make contributions to the development of China-India relations, as well as peace and prosperity in the region and the world.

Sharma conveyed respect and greetings from President Rahul Gandhi of the INC to General Secretary Xi Jinping. He expressed that during the course of reform and opening up over the past 40 years, China has made great development achievements and won praises from the international community including India. It is believed that under the leadership of General Secretary Xi, the CPC will surely and smoothly realize the governance goal and make great contributions to the establishment of a fair and just international order. The INC cherishes its profound friendship and close exchanges and cooperation relations with the CPC, and is willing to work with the CPC to devote to developing mature and practical China-India relations. The INC congratulated the CPC on successfully holding the First SCO Political Parties Forum, and expressed the willingness to coordinate and cooperate under this platform and other multilateral cooperation frameworks, in a bid to contribute to the prosperity and development of the region and the world as two major parties and two major countries.

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