Damascus - During its general session, held on Monday, the 5th Conference of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) elected members of the Assembly's Executive Council to be chaired by Syria over the next two years.
The Council will encompass new member states such as Russia, Turkey, Korea and Bahrain, and each one of them will head one of the Council's committees which are specialized in social and cultural affairs, in addition to developing and supporting economic affairs and forging the closing statement.
Speaker of the Syrian People's Assembly Dr. Mahmoud al-Abrash thanked Indonesia's House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie for his distinguished chairmanship of the Assembly over the past two years as many important statements were issued in that period and the number of the Troika's member states in the region increased.
For his part Head of the APA Executive Council Muhammad Hidayat Nur Wahid said the cooperation between all the APA member states enabled him to approve a large number of draft statements, underlining the importance of translating them on the ground to be an example to follow by the parliamentarians on the international level.
The APA Secretary General Dr. Nejad Hosseinian stressed the importance of benefiting from the Asian parliaments in achieving the development plans through enhancing cooperation among all the APA member states, indicating that these institutions can realize legislative integration among them.
Dr. Hosseinian called for finding suitable solutions for the problems threatening peace and security in Asia, indicating that the proposed conferences during 2011 will focus on issues related to the principles of cooperation and friendship relations in Asia, in addition to the global financial crisis, the integrated energy market, religious dialogue and the dialogue among Asian cultures.
Chairman of the Islamic Parliament of Iran Ali Larijani said that Asia is facing great challenges today, on top of which the global financial crisis, the globalization and its repercussions on the cultures of the countries and nations.
Larijani called for benefiting from the common interests binding the Asian countries and enhancing coordination and cooperation among them in the optimal way to play a role towards their issues, particularly with regard to the developmental ones.
He referred to the criminal acts committed by the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian people and their constant attacks against the neighboring Arab countries, adding that the so called "law of the Israeli Knesset" with regard to running a referendum before withdrawing from the occupied Arab territories in the Syrian Golan and East Jerusalem is a violation of all the UN relevant resolutions.
He affirmed that the Israeli Zionist entity causes a big crisis in the region, calling for exerting all possible efforts to get rid of it.
He warned against the American schemes which aim at imposing hegemony on energy resources in the region.
During the APA evening session, Chairman of the Arab and Foreign Affairs Committee at the Syrian People's Assembly Suleiman Hadad underlined the importance of achieving the just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East as it is considered the basic issue in the region.
Hadad added the peace process is still hindered by Israel's obstinacy and arrogance and its determination on considering occupation and force the only logic as it continues its aggressions and siege, indicating that Israel's last attack against Gaza Strip was clear evidence on the brutality of the terrorism logic in which it believes.
He underlined the importance of facing the Israeli racist plot which aims at Judaizing Jerusalem.
Hadad called upon the APA to form a delegation for visiting the besieged Gaza Strip, the occupied Syrian Golan and the Arab detainees at the Israeli prisons to inspect the state terrorism practiced by Israel against the Arab people.
He also called for making the Middle East a nuclear-free zone, and compelling Israel to join the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and to put all of its nuclear facilities under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Hadad pointed out that Syria supports the participation of women in the People's Assembly and enables them to participate in drawing the policy of the country.
He expressed hope that the APA current session will come up with a number of suggestions and recommendations that would improve the living conditions of Asia's people to live in a world where peace and freedom prevail.
For his part Head of the Lebanese delegation Hassan Fadlallah said that the APA meeting aims at opening new prospects of cooperation among its member states in the domains of economy, culture and policy, indicating to the great potentials enjoyed by Asia which form a solid basis for achieving development.
Fadlallah added meeting in Syria allows us to review the most important Asian issues due to the important geographical location of the country and its key and effective role towards issues of the region.
He affirmed that Israel is the reason behind all the crises in the region as it depends on occupation, aggression and expansion, in addition to its constant attempts to obliterate the identity of the occupied Arab territories.
He added that Israel doesn't only occupies the lands, but it also works on displacing people and building settlements, as well as demolishing houses, mosques and churches and killing innocent people.
He indicated that Lebanon is suffering from Israel's arrogance and its continued acts of espionage and piracy, in addition to its threats of wars and incursions.
Fadlallah called for working together to put an end to the Israeli crimes which violate all laws and the international conventions.
For his part, Head of the Palestinian delegation, Tayseer Kabaa said that the Israeli occupation doesn't want peace and doesn't recognize any of the Palestinian people's rights, stressing that the Palestinian people will not give up and will resist to get all their rights.
© SANA (Syria Arab News Agency) 2010
