| Date: 18/09/2012 Time: 11:29:00 PM |
A parliamentary delegation from the six-member
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will hold its first ever meeting with the
Parliament of the 27-member European Union in Brussels on Wednesday to
strengthen the partnerships between the two regional blocs.
"It will be a very important meeting. It is the first time that such a
meeting is taking place. We will discuss the strategic partnership between the
European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council," Kuwait MP Ali Saleh Al-Omair
told the Kuwait news agency, KUNA, here tonight
"We came here to strengthen this partnership and to profit from it as Gulf
countries," he stressed noting that the European Parliament plays an important
political role in the world.
The GCC parliamentary delegations held a two-hour preparatory meeting
Tuesday night in order to present a unified position on issues that will be
discussed with the EU Parliamentarians.
Topics like human rights, women's rights and the current developments in
the Arab world are expected to be raised during the meeting between the GCC
parliamentarians and the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Commitee.
Al-Omair said "we must stress our values and religious beliefs on issues
like human rights, womens' rights and it is in our interest to find common
denominators to cooperate and build bridges with Europe.
The Kuwaiti MP denounced the anti-Islam film which was made in the US as
"terrible and very offensive" and underlined that Muslims are proud of their
faith and values and noted that they wil not give any concessions in their
religious beliefs and values for the sake of cooperation with Europe.
On her part, Kuwaiti Ambassador to the EU, Nabeela Al Mulla, told KUNA that
tomorrow's parliamentary meeting between the GCC and the EU is a "landmark and
historic one."
"Such a meeting between the Shura councils and parliaments in the GCC
countries and the European Union was never held before. We were hoping since
many years that such a meeting would take place," she added.
The GCC Parliamentary delegation is led by Abdulla Bin Mohammad Al
Al-Sheikh, Speaker of Saudi Shura Council, whose country holds the current GCC
Presidency.
The GCC includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE. |