By Nawab Khan
BRUSSELS, April 28 (KUNA) -- The European Parliament 's Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula and the Gulf Cooperation Joint Parliamentary Committee held their first meeting in Brussels Thursday evening with the aim to promote closer cooperation and dialogue between the two sides.
Michأ¨le ALLIOT-MARIE, chairperson of the Delegation, welcoming the GCC parliamentarians said the GCC is a "significant strategic partner "and noted that the meeting aims to get closer to tackle the common challenges like terrorism which Europe and the Gulf countries are facing.
Alliot-Marie, a former French defence minister, expressed her delight that "we have set up a joint parliamentary committee with the GCC to enhance our dialogue," and said this will contribute in building trust and confidence.
"We hope that this first meeting will be followed by many other meetings," she said.
Alliot-Marie praised the efforts of the GCC ambassador to the EU, Amal al Hamad, to strengthen ties between the EU and GCC and with the EP.
On his part, Dr. Mohammad Abdullah Al-Amr, secretary general of the Saudi Majlis and head of the GCC delegation said "we seek to strengthen ties with you (EP) on the basis of mutual trust and interests for the benefit of our people and for the stability of the region." He referred to the European Parliament resolution of 2011 which calls for a strategic partnership with GCC and said "We look forward to activating the terms of this resolution in the interest of both parties." "We parliamentarians today are in much need to exercise justice, fairness and objectivity and to seek information on which we base our decisions on parliamentary reliable sources, especially that we live in an age of information revolution and open communication where it is easy to pass on lies and rumors," he said.
He noted that peoples in the Arab region are facing a number of challenges, and "We look forward to deepening our cooperation to overcome them and ease their damage, and the first of these challenges for the Arabs and Muslims is the Palestinian question." Palestinian people have suffered more than seventy years of killing, displacement and injustice and oppression, and still the Israeli occupation authorities exercise their terrorist settlement policies indifferent to the right of the Palestinian people, he said.
He called for a just solution in accordance with the Arab peace initiative and international legitimacy resolutions, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the territories occupied in 1967.
Al-Amr also referred to the developments in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, GCC ties with Iran, the refugee crisis and the GCC efforts to fight against terrorism.
On her part, GCC Ambassador to the EU, Amal Al Hamad spoke of the fruitful developments in EU-GCC ties following a number of recent bilateral meetings and upcoming important meetings to boost bilateral EU-GCC relations.
Abudllah Yousef Al-Maayouf, member of Kuwait's National Assembly, in his intervention called for justice and fairness as the basis of promoting mutual ties.
"We Muslims feel that there are double standards in dealing with the Palestinian cause and in the application of human rights," said the Kuwaiti MP. He referred to the contribution and efforts of the GCC to deal with the refugee problem and noted that they are not treated as refugees in GCC countries but like brothers and sisters.
Several other members from the GCC committee and the EP also addressed the meeting and called for closer ties and cooperation between the two sides.
Hoda Abdurrahman Al Helaissi, member of the Saudi Shura Council called for the respect of other cultures and values and identities and be tolerant of our differences.
"Our Islamic values are our identities and none of us want to lose our identities. On the contrary we want to emphasize it and give it to our younger generation," she stressed.
Speaking to the Kuwait news agency KUNA after the meeting, Dr. Mohammad Abdullah Al-Amr, said the meeting was "fruitful and we emphasized on the importance of more meetings and cooperation." "We also agreed to create mechanisms to promote dialogue on concrete issues to achieve results," he added. (end) nk.ibi