Speaker meets Austrian counterpart

Vienna, Sept. 9 (BNA): Speaker of the Council of Representatives, Fawzia bint Abdulla Zainal, today held a meeting with the President of the Austrian National Assembly, Wolfgang Sobotka, on the sidelines of the participation of the Bahraini parliamentary delegation in the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament. The Speaker discussed with her Austrian counterpart a number of topics of mutual interest, stressing the depth of the friendship relations between Bahrain and Austria, and the level of their cooperation and coordination in various fields. Zainal highlighted the steady progress of the role of parliamentary diplomacy in Bahrain, out of the kingdom’s keenness to build strong relations with the parliaments of brotherly and friendly countries in order to exchange parliamentary visits, as well as legislative expertise and experiences. Zainal reviewed ways to enhance joint cooperation, especially in the economic and tourism fields, in addition to the exemption of Bahraini passport holders from prior entry visas to Austria. The Austrian National Assembly Speaker responded positively to the proposal, and expressed keenness to hold bilateral talks in the coming period in order to reach agreements that would consolidate rapprochement between the two countries. He commended the measures taken by Bahrain to combat the novel Coronavirus pandemic, praising its multiple initiatives that have ensured the continuity of the nation-building and development process. He also praised the keenness of the legislative branch in Bahrain to continue its work during the pandemic, through holding remote meetings, reflecting lawmakers’ commitment and sense of responsibility.