The mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) Thursday sent a letter to the Taiwan-based Strait Exchange Foundation (SEF), inviting them for talks.

The letter invites SEF Chairman Chiang Pin-kun and Vice Chairman and Secretary-General Kao Koong-lian to lead a SEF delegation to visit Beijing from June 11 to 14 for talks on the cross-Strait weekend chartered flights and mainland tourists' traveling to Taiwan.

"We hope the talks will make progress on the two issues to meet the expectations of people from both sides of the Strait," the letter says.

In the letter, the ARATS extended congratulations to Chiang for taking the post as SEF chairman and Kao as vice chairman and secretary-general.

The SEF sent a letter to the ARATS Monday informing it the results of the election of new chairman and vice chairman and secretary-general.

In the letter, SEF said it has been authorized to hold talks with ARATS on the cross-Strait weekend chartered flights and mainland tourists' visit of Taiwan. It also called for the resumption of regular consultations based on the "1992 Consensus".

"We agree with the suggestion in your letter that the two associations should resume exchanges and consultations based on the '1992 Consensus' as soon as possible," the ARATS said in Thursday's letter.

(Xinhua News Agency May 29, 2008)