国内英语新闻:Top legislator meets Georgian parliament's speaker

BEIJING, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Zhang Dejiang met here on Wednesday with Georgia's parliamentary speaker David Usupashvili, vowing to reinforce parliamentary exchanges.

Usupashvili is in Beijing to attend the Asian Political Parties' Special Conference on the Silk Road, which began on Wednesday and runs through Friday.

Zhang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), said the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping has received a positive response from Georgia.

Lauding the agreement signed in March on Georgia's cooperation on the economic belt, Zhang said China is willing to align its development strategy with Georgia to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation.

Usupashvili praised economic and trade cooperation with China, saying political parties in Georgia have a consensus on relations with China.

Georgia is ready to make joint efforts with China to push forward bilateral ties, he said.

The theme of the special conference is "New Vision of the Silk Road, Actions for Common Development."

The conference will help countries increase their understanding of the Belt and Road initiative, as well as deepen cooperation between Asian countries and other countries along the Silk Road, according to the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.