Cooperation with Asia is a priority for Bahrain, in line with the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on strengthening sustainable partnerships to address mutual challenges and issues in the region, Speaker Ahmed bin Salman Al Musallam said.
Al Musallam said the legislative branch in Bahrain gives importance to parliamentary diplomacy as a tool to boost bilateral and multilateral Asian cooperation. He added that it can optimise the role of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly and enable it to achieve its objectives.
The Speaker was addressing participants in the opening of the meeting of the Standing Committee on Economic and Sustainable Development of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA).
The opening was attended by Shura Chairman Ali bin Saleh Al Saleh.
The speaker stressed the importance of directing parliamentary efforts towards the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals as part of parliaments’ role in addressing global issues like climate change.
Al Musallam touched on the challenges of climate change, food security, health, infrastructure and biodiversity in Asia.
Asia is the biggest continent in terms of population and economic growth, but it needs more integration to boost trade, investment, telecommunications, and building on mutual cultural heritage, the Speaker said.
He stressed the importance of Asian parliamentary dialogue to drive cooperation and forging joint strategies, that would reflect in national legislation.
Source: Bahrain News Agency