Arab Parliament Speaker: Bahrain keen advocate of Arab causes

General

Manama, Adel bin Abdulrahman Al Asoomi, Speaker of the Arab Parliament, said that Bahrain's hosting of the Arab Summit in its 33rd session, was a significant historical milestone. The Bahrain Summit is a demonstration of the steadfast approach of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, supported by the efforts of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, of giving priority to the Arab region within Bahrain's diplomatic policy. He emphasised that Bahrain has long been renowned for its role as a kingdom of coexistence and peace, and a keen advocate of Arab causes. He added that the convening of the "Bahrain Summit" amidst political, security, regional, and global challenges underscores the exceptional significance of the summit. In an interview with the Bahrain News Agency (BNA), the Speaker of the Arab Parliament said Bahrain has attained a prestigious status at the Arab, regional, and international levels, under the leadership of His Majesty the King. He said this would provide impetus to ensure the success of the summit and generate tangible outcomes in the coming stage. Al Asoomi noted that the speeches delivered by His Majesty King Hamad in previous Arab summits, emphasised the principles of the kingdom's foreign policy, most notably non-interference in domestic affairs and respect of the sovereignty of states. Al Asoomi said that the next Arab summit will be held at a very sensitive time, as the Arab region face political, security and development challenges, in addition to being affected by major global events and their repercussions on their economies. He affirmed that the Kingdom of Bahrain spares no effort in supporting joint Arab action, whether within the framework of the Arab League, or even at the bilateral and multilateral levels. The Arab Parliament Speaker highlighted several initiatives presented by His Majesty the King to enhance joint Arab efforts, such as the establishment of the Arab Court for Human Rights and the kingdom's support for the joint Arab Stock Exchange project. He said these initiatives underscore Bahrain's commitment to bolstering Arab economic integration and attracting investment to development projects across the Arab region. He said that the upcoming summit would be exceptional in its timing, significance as it will address issues concerning Arab people, notably developments related to the Palestinian cause and means to achieve sustainable political resolutions for the crises and conflicts in the Arab region. He added that it is expected that unifying Arab countries and enhancing solidarity in facing these challenges will be the main theme of that summit. Al Asoomi emphasised the critical need for ongoing Arab coordination to address and resolve Arab issues. This entails enhancing partnerships, fostering mutual understandings among Arab nations based on shared interests, and safeguarding Arab national security as a unified entity. He said that cooperation is the key to achieving sustainable development goals and imple menting development visions of Arab countries through a comprehensive development process in all fields. He added that the Arab Parliament worked to strengthen joint Arab action and protect Arab national security from external threats and interference through parliamentary diplomacy, which holds a role that complements that of official diplomacy. Source: Bahrain News Agency