Speaker attends meeting of Gulf parliament heads

TDT | Manama

Representatives Council Speaker Fawzia bint Abdullah Zainal attended yesterday the 13th periodic meeting of the GCC General Assemblies Chairpersons, which was held remotely. It was organised by the Federal National Council of the UAE and the GCC Secretariat General.

During the meeting, the Speaker said that solidarity between GCC nations has permitted to face the challenges posed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, taking the necessary precautionary measures to protect lives and launch economic and social initiatives to provide support to segments of society.

The Speaker conveyed the greetings of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and his welcome of Bahrain’s hosting the next GCC legislative councils’ meeting. She emphasised the need for further cooperation between GCC countries and the role of legislative councils in backing efforts to serve national interests.

The Speaker pointed out other challenges that are no less important than the coronavirus, such as attempts by some regional countries—mainly Iran and Turkey—to interfere in the GCC’s internal affairs and support terrorist militias. She reiterated condemnation of the Iran-backed Houthi militias’ attempts to target some regions in Saudi Arabia using missiles or drones.

She underscored Bahrain’s full support to its brotherly Kingdom in its policies and measures to maintain its security, sovereignty and stability. The Speaker affirmed the importance of the Arab League’s recent statement on Libya and the denunciation of Turkey’s interference in Libyan affairs.

She underlined the importance of the initiative of Egyptian President Abdelfattah El Sisi, which called for a ceasefire in Libya and commitment to the political march. She also called to map out unconventional solutions and a forward-looking vision for the future to deal with issues like water shortage, food security, desertification, environment, unemployment, and diversification of income sources.