Speaker, IPU President hold talks

Manama, Dec. 29 (BNA): Speaker of the Council of Representatives, Fawzia bint Abdulla Zainal, today held talks with the President of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Duarte Pacheco. Talks focused on ways to enhance cooperation between Bahrain and IPU in order to contribute to achieving IPU’s founding goals, through unifying international parliamentary efforts, and making them more effective in consolidating global peace and security, as well as reaching the development goals of all peoples and countries. During the meeting, Speaker Fawzia Zainal said that the democratic and parliamentary process in the kingdom enjoys the support of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, adding that HM the King had laid down solid foundations for well-established democratic work, making popular partnership, through the Council of Representatives, a basic pillar of governance. She highlighted the increasing number of national achievements witnessed by the kingdom as a result of effective cooperation between the legislative branch and the government, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. The Representatives Council’s Speaker commended the role played by IPU in supporting the efforts of parliaments all over the world, praising its keenness to promote human rights and back countries’ endeavours to achieve sustainable development goals. She underlined the Representatives Council’s constant keenness to communicate with the relevant international agencies and organisations, noting that IPU President’s visit to the kingdom aims to activate parliamentary diplomacy, inter-parliamentary cooperation, in addition to exchanging expertise and knowledge. IPU President’s visit is also an opportunity to be informed about the kingdom’s democratic and political progress, as well as the comprehensive development process it is witnessing, she said. IPU President expressed admiration for the wide-ranging achievements witnessed by the kingdom as a result of HM the King’s reforms, making Bahrain a role model for coexistence, peace and democracy, in accordance with a reform project based on the constitution and the law, as well as popular and parliamentary partnership. IPU Chief, Duarte Pacheco, lauded the efforts made by HM the King to promote the values of tolerance, coexistence and equality among the members of society, in addition to the royal keenness to implement sustainable development goals and empower Bahraini women. He also asserted that the quality initiatives launched by HM King Hamad, such as the establishments of the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence, have earned Bahrain the International Community’s admiration, appreciation and respect, enhanced its status in the democratic and parliamentary fields and made it a role model for respecting and consolidating human rights. He also welcomed the kingdom’s bid to host the meetings of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in 2023.