Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao addressed the Uzbek Parliament on Wednesday, putting forward a proposal for further developing relations with Central Asia.

Hu, who is on a state visit here, said in his speech that China has full confidence in developing good-neighborly relations with Central Asian countries.

China and Central Asian countries should enhance good-neighborliness, friendship and mutual trust by promoting exchanges of high-level visits, he said.

The Chinese president said China and Central Asian countries should also strengthen security coordination in an effort to maintain regional stability.

The two sides must expand pragmatic cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit and increase cultural exchanges, he said.

In his address, Hu also explained China's independent and peaceful foreign policy.

Hu, who arrived in Tashkent Monday night, held talks with Uzbek President Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov Tuesday morning on further cooperation between the two countries. They also discussed major regional and world issues.

During his stay in Tashkent, the Chinese president will attend a summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization scheduled for Thursday.

Uzbekistan is the last leg of Hu's four-nation trip, which has taken him to Poland, Romania and Hungary.

(Xinhua News Agency June 16, 2004)