BEIJING, Feb. 1(Xinhuanet)-- Several government departments heldtalks here Tuesday to celebrate the imminent Chinese Lunar New Year with the nation's ethnic minority representatives.

Ismail Amat, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress(NPC), said at the meeting thatin 2004, China's ethnic minorities have made new contributions to the country's economic development.

Meanwhile, he said, the government has also beefed up support to ethnic minority regions, cultivating a stable and fair environment for their development.

Ismail Amat urges for still greater unity among ethnic minoritygroups for the country to strive for a well off society in 2005.

The meeting is cosponsored jointly by the United Front Work Department of Communist Party of China(CPC) Central Committee, the Ethnic Affairs Committee of the NPC, the State Ethnic Affairs Commission of China, the Subcommittee of Ethnic and Religious Affairs of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference(CPPCC), and the Beijing municipal government.

Zhang Siqing, vice-chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, chaired the meeting.