Chinese President Hu Jintao and Portuguese parliament speaker Jaime Gama agreed to boost exchanges between the legislatures of the two countries in a bid to advance bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership at Lisbon on Saturday.

During his meeting with Gama, Hu said both China and Portugal boast ancient civilizations, contributing significantly to human progress, and maintaining a long tradition of friendship between the two peoples.

There has been a smooth development of bilateral ties since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1979 and the launch of the comprehensive strategic partnership in 2005 ushered in a new phase for bilateral cooperation, he said.

In recent years, the two countries made frequent exchange of high-level visits, deepening political mutual trust, rapidly expanding trade and economic cooperation, enhancing people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and maintaining good communication and coordination in international affairs, Hu said.

Portugal has played a key role in promoting the development of China-Europe relations, he added.

Legislative exchanges and cooperation are an important part of bilateral relations, Hu went on.

In recent years, legislatures of both countries maintained close contacts, playing an important role in promoting the mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples, consolidating the public opinion base of bilateral ties and advancing the comprehensive and in-depth development of the Sino-Portuguese ties, he noted.

Hu said he hopes that the Portuguese parliament would continue to play an active role in promoting the development of the Sino-Portuguese relations. Legislatures of both countries need to continue to conduct exchanges in different forms and at different levels, so as to make new contributions to advancing bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, he added.

For his part, Gama said Hu's state visit to Portugal is of epoch-making significance in that it is not only conducive to boosting China-Portugal ties, but also important for advancing China-Europe relations.

He said the Sino-Portuguese relations are time-honored. Under the new situation, both countries should continue to push forward their comprehensive strategic partnership.

China has made great contributions to the development of the world culture and is playing an increasingly important role on the international arena, he added.

The Portuguese parliament has maintained good contacts and exchanges with the National People's Congress of China, China's legislature, and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's political advisory body, Gama said.

He added that the Portuguese parliament actively supports the development of the Sino-Portuguese ties and is keen to promote the development of bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.

All the political parties in Portugal are willing to enhance their ties with the Communist Party of China, he said.

Hu arrived here Saturday after a three-day state visit to France. He is scheduled to head back home on Sunday.