BEIJING, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, called on BRICS countries to enhance parliamentary cooperation during a BRICS parliamentary forum via video link on Tuesday.

He suggested that the legislative bodies should strengthen cooperation in the field of public health and provide legal protection for epidemic prevention and control.

Legislative bodies of BRICS countries should advance international joint prevention and control efforts to combat COVID-19, and oppose politicizing and stigmatizing the virus, as well as moves of shifting blames, said Li.

He called for persistence in openness, innovation and development, and advocated the legislative bodies to firmly safeguard the multilateral trading system from the perspective of the rule of law.

He also urged to firmly uphold the authority of international law and deepen parliamentary cooperation within the framework of BRICS.

Senior lawmakers of other BRICS countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, and South Africa, also attended the video meeting.