Lu Yongxiang, a senior member of Chinese top legislative body, the National People's Congress (NPC), has asked China and Russia to promote exchange and cooperation in legislation practice.

Lu, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, made the appeal on a seminar jointly held by Chinese and Russian legislative bodies in Moscow on Tuesday.

By doing that, the legislative bodies can improve legal environment for enhancing economic and trade ties between the two countries, he said.

Lu and Russian Federation Council deputy speaker Dmitry Mezentsev both hailed the development of Chinese-Russian relations, and the exchange between the two parliaments at the opening ceremony of the meeting.

The NPC has maintained regular exchange mechanism with the Federation Council, upper house of the Russian parliament and the State Duma, the lower house, since 2005.

(Xinhua News Agency June 6, 2007)