President Hu Jintao met Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Rome on Monday. The two leaders pledged their countries' efforts to further promote bilateral relations and cooperation in a number of areas.

Next year marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. During a meeting with Berlusconi, President Hu offered a three-point proposal for boosting bilateral ties, including deepening economic and trade cooperation, exploring new areas of cooperation and enhancing cultural and human exchanges.

Berlusconi agreed entirely with Hu’s proposals and said Italy is ready to join hands with China to further bilateral cooperation in a number of areas.

Hu and Berlusconi also exchanged views on ways of tackling the global financial crisis, fighting climate change and advancing the Doha Round talks.

After their meeting, the two leaders attended the signing ceremony for a number of cooperation documents between the two countries.

Editor: Zhou Shanshan | video source: CCTV.com