Oslo, December 6th—Song Tao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), met here today with Morten Wold, Vice President of Norway Parliament.

Song said that Norway was one of the first Western countries to recognize the People's Republic of China and one of the first European countries to recognize China's market economy status. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, friendship and cooperation have always been the mainstream of bilateral relations and have brought tangible benefits to the two peoples. The CPC is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the political parties of the Norwegian Parliament, jointly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries on the development of bilateral relations, adhere to the principle of mutual respect and equal treatment, accommodate and respect each other's core interests and major concerns, and expand friendly exchanges and cooperation in the fields of parliament, political parties, economy and trade, and people-to people exchanges, so as to push China-Norway relations to new highs. Both countries should adhere to trade liberalization and investment facilitation to jointly safeguard multilateralism and the multilateral trading system.

Wold said that the Norwegian Parliament supports Norway and China in deepening friendly exchanges and cooperation in various fields such as economy, trade, political parties and legislative bodies. The Norwegian Parliament is willing to further strengthen communication and coordination between the two sides in international and regional affairs, adhere to free trade, and pursue multilateralism, in a bid to make new contribution to world peace and development. The political parties of the Norwegian Parliament are willing to strengthen exchanges with the CPC to promote the sustained and stable development of Norway-China relations at a new starting point.

Enditem