ABU DHABI: Speaker of the Shura Council HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim has stressed the State of Qatar's keenness on the unity of the Gulf ranks, supporting joint Gulf action, consolidating the values, and preserving the Gulf identity in a way that contributes to building a bright future for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
This came during His Excellency's speech at the 18th meeting of Their Excellencies Speakers of the Shura, Representatives, National, and Ummah Councils in the GCC countries, held Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.
He said that the State of Qatar, with its wise leadership, is keen on the unity of the Gulf ranks, strengthening joint Gulf action, and preserving the authentic Gulf identity, which reflects the heritage and culture of the GCC countries.
In this context, he pointed out the role of the Shura Council and its continuous efforts to enhance joint Gulf parliamentary work, as it concluded its chairmanship of the 17th meeting of the Speakers of the Shura, Representatives, National, and Ummah Councils in the GCC countries, with fruitful cooperation between the member states, which contributed to achieving several common goals that seek to raise the level of cooperation at all levels.
He also noted the Shura Council's interest and role in strengthening joint Gulf action and preserving the Gulf identity, referring to the seminar organized by the council during his presidency, which addressed this important file and resulted in recommendations that focused on protecting the Gulf identity and strengthening cultural and social ties between the peoples of the GCC countries.
The Speaker of the Shura Council stressed that these efforts seek to enhance Gulf integration in a way that meets the aspirations of the citizens of the GCC countries.
In a related context, he emphasized the importance of strengthening parliamentary diplomacy to support the foreign relations of the GCC countries, noting that this diplomacy provides an opportunity to clarify the stances of the Gulf countries and convey the voice of the Gulf citizens to the international community, which supports the common interests of the GCC countries.He addressed the developments of the Palestinian issue, in light of the ongoing Israeli war, stressing the council's support for the Palestinian issue and the rights of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and international legitimacy resolutions.
Al Ghanim stressed the importance of continued Gulf parliamentary support for the rights of the Palestinian people, urging the international community to assume its responsibilities in stopping the crimes of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and forced displacement committed by the Israeli occupation forces in the Gaza Strip, and to take all measures to prosecute and hold accountable this entity and its officials for committing these crimes.
Regarding the Lebanese issue, the Speaker of the Shura Council voiced the council's condemnation of the Israeli aggression on Lebanon, calling for the necessity of obligating Israel to abide by international legitimacy resolutions to protect lives and ensure security in the region.
Concluding his speech, the Speaker of the Shura Council congratulated HE Member of the Federal National Council of the United Arab Emirates Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Yamahi on his election as Speaker of the Arab Parliament, stressing that this step represents a real opportunity to enhance the pioneering role of the UAE at the Arab parliamentary level, and contributes to supporting the Gulf stances on vital issues affecting the region and supports joint parliamentary work.
The Speaker of the Shura Council voiced his confidence in the success of the UAE in leading the current session of the meeting, hoping that these efforts will contribute to enhancing cooperation between the GCC countries and achieving the aspirations of the peoples of the GCC.
For their part, the Speakers of the Gulf legislative councils stressed in their speeches during the meeting the importance of enhancing Gulf integration, addressing the need to develop Gulf parliamentary work, and unifying efforts to support important regional and international issues, particularly the Palestinian issue.
Their Excellencies, the Speakers of the Gulf legislative councils discussed a number of topics related to enhancing joint Gulf parliamentary cooperation, in addition to discussing the regional and international challenges facing the region.
They also reviewed the recommendations of the 19th consultative meeting of the Parliamentary Coordination Committee, which aims to unify stances between the Gulf legislative councils, and adopted mechanisms to strengthen relations with the European Parliament and the parliaments of Latin America, stressing the importance of coordinating Gulf efforts in international forums to support issues of common interest, especially the Palestinian issue, in addition to calling for intensifying international efforts to protect the rights of the Palestinian people and stop the Israeli escalation in the occupied territories.
