By Tariq Alfaham
ABU DHABI, (WAM) – In his speech during the Parliamentary Dialogue Forum of the Senates and Equivalent Councils of Africa, the Arab World, Latin America, and the Caribbean countries currently being held in Morocco, Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the Federal National Council (FNC), said the forum is a key opportunity to consult on many issues affecting Arab and Latin American countries.
Arab and Latin American countries belong to the oldest civilisations in history and have produced rich cultural, literary and artistic contributions to humanity, he added.
Both regions are rich in significant natural and human resources that must be utilised and invested in, to achieve the desired sustainable development, he stressed. The Arab region’s population totals 350 million people, most of whom are young people while the total population of Latin American countries is 630 million people.
In his speech, Ghobash pointed out that major global issues related to energy, climate change, food security and cybersecurity threaten future generations, while recent political and security developments, whether wars, conflicts or terrorism, could threaten global peace and security, as well as international navigation.
Therefore, it is necessary to promote cooperation and coordination between Arab and Latin American countries, he added, affirming the necessity of coordinating parliamentary stances at various regional and international parliamentary evenAts.
He then highlighted the importance of reinforcing educational, cultural and artistic cooperation, noting that Expo 2020 Dubai is an ideal platform for promoting relevant cooperation, and more than 190 countries are participating in this major international event.
The forum intends to further strengthen south-south cooperation and parliamentary exchanges between participating countries.
The forum seeks to advocate for peace, sustainable development, democratic governance, and human rights, as well as social, environmental, and climate justice.
The event aims to create a space for dialogue between the participating parties and boost interactive exchange to facilitate regional integration and south-south cooperation.
The forum will also focus on strengthening the action of the senates in the field of economic diplomacy and developing south-south parliamentary dialogue on issues of common interest. The forum intends to do so while improving the role of the legislative institution as the authority responsible for strengthening democratic and territorial governance.