Shura Council speaker stresses Qatar's keenness to enhance joint Gulf action

HE the Speaker of the Shura Council Hassan bin Abdullah al-Ghanim stressed Qatar's keenness on the unity of the Gulf ranks, supporting joint Gulf action, consolidating the values, and preserving the Gulf identity in a way that contributes to building a bright future for the GCC countries.This came during HE al-Ghanim's speech at the 18th meeting of the Speakers of the Shura, Representatives, National, and Ummah Councils in the GCC countries, held Tuesday in Abu Dhabi.He said that Qatar, with its wise leadership, is keen on preserving the authentic Gulf identity, which reflects the heritage and culture of the GCC countries.In this context, he pointed out the role of the Shura Council and its continuous efforts to enhance joint Gulf parliamentary work, as it concluded its chairmanship of the 17th meeting of the Speakers of the Shura, Representatives, National, and Ummah Councils in the GCC countries, with fruitful co-operation between the member states, which contributed to achieving several common goals that seek to raise the level of cooperation at all levels.HE the Speaker stressed that the Shura Council's efforts seek to enhance Gulf integration in a way that meets the aspirations of the GCC citizens. In a related context, he emphasised the importance of strengthening parliamentary diplomacy to support the foreign relations of the GCC countries, noting that this diplomacy provides an opportunity to clarify the stances of the Gulf countries and convey the voice of the Gulf citizens to the international community, which supports the common interests of the GCC countries.He addressed the developments of the Palestinian issue, in light of the ongoing Israeli war, stressing the council's support for the Palestinian issue and the rights of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and international legitimacy resolutions.HE al-Ghanim stressed the importance of continued Gulf parliamentary support for the rights of the Palestinian people, urging the international community to assume its responsibilities in stopping the crimes of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and forced displacement committed by the Israeli occupation forces in the Gaza Strip, and to take all measures to prosecute and hold accountable this entity and its officials for committing these crimes.Regarding the Lebanese issue, HE the Speaker voiced the Council's condemnation of the Israeli aggression on Lebanon, calling for the necessity of obligating Israel to abide by international legitimacy resolutions to protect lives and ensure security in the region.HE al-Ghanim congratulated Member of the Federal National Council of the UAE Mohammed bin Ahmed al-Yamahi on his election as Speaker of the Arab Parliament, stressing that this step represents a real opportunity to enhance the pioneering role of the UAE at the Arab parliamentary level, and contributes to supporting the Gulf stances on vital issues affecting the region and supports joint parliamentary work.HE the Speaker of the Shura Council voiced his confidence in the success of the UAE in leading the current session of the meeting, hoping that these efforts will contribute to enhancing cooperation between the GCC countries and achieving the aspirations of the peoples of the GCC.