The upcoming visit of Wu Bangguo, chairman of China's National People's Congress (NPC), the top Chinese legislator, proves the interest of the two countries for parliamentary cooperation, Benaki said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua by email.
"I await with great interest the visit of my Chinese counterpart and his delegation. We will have the opportunity to exchange views on issues of common interest, to acquaint ourselves better with the functioning of our Parliaments and to examine the possibilities for the promotion of our bilateral parliamentary relations," she said.
Parliamentary cooperation may contribute to a defining extent to enhance the ties between the two countries, she noted.
She pointed out that this is accomplished with exchanges of visits by members of parliament, where they exchange information and thoughts on the activities of the Parliaments, but also the way of life, culture, history and the customs of each country,.
"The visit by Mr. Wu Bangguo confirms our mutual wish to strengthen our bilateral relations," she said.
Commenting on the relations between the two countries, Benaki said the Olympic Games in Athens contributed in a decisive manner to further strengthen the very good relations between the two countries.
She stressed that China honors Greece with the "Cultural year of Greece in China", which coincides with the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, noting that tourism between the two countries has increased significantly in the last few years.
The visits by Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and First Vice-President of the Parliament Hatzigakis to China confirm the will of Greece to cooperate closely with China on all levels, Benaki added.
On the legislation relating to Olympic facilities, the parliament speaker proposed to China that a law regarding the procedure for the exploitation of the facilities and the change of their use should be made before they are constructed.
"The Olympic facilities must be planned to fulfill their future use as well. This is why the relevant provisions must be made before they are constructed, to the extent that this is possible," she said.
Wu Bangguo is scheduled to arrive in Athens next Monday for a 5- day official good-well visit to Greece.
During his visit, Wu will discuss with Greek President Karolos Papoulias, Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and Parliament President Anna Benaki bilateral relations and other issues of common concern.
He is also expected to deliver a speech at the Greece-China business forum and attend the signing ceremony of several agreements in the fields of shipping and telecommunications.
Greece is the third leg of Wu's four-nation tour, which also takes him to Romania, Moldova and Russia.
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