Damascus - Participants in the 11th Afro-Arab Parliamentary Conference elected on Monday Syrian People's Assembly Speaker Mahmoud al-Abrash as chairman of the conference during the first session of the conference.
Opening speeches were given by the representatives of the Arab League, the Transitional Arab Parliament, councils of members of the Organization of Islamic Conference and the Consultative Council of West African Union. The speeches affirmed the necessity of protecting the achievements of the Afro-Arab Parliaments and developing political, economic and cultural cooperation between Arab and African countries in order to face threats and challenges and become an effective international group.
Representatives of Arab and regional organizations stressed the importance of Afro-Arab cooperation, underlining the need to put all available resources in service of the goals and the need to increase solidarity among people and cooperate to solve the chronic problems of the Arab and African worlds, adding that the regional situation call for more work and efforts in order to confront it.
A numbder of heads and representatives of Arab and African parliaments gave speeches during which they stressed the need to discuss common issues by exchanging parliamentary visits and holding conferences to discuss important issues and coordinate political stances in international circles.
They also affirmed the importance of dialogue in removing obstacles and increasing cooperation between mutual committees and establishments, which would serve their mutual interests and achieve prosperity for their people.
By H. Sabbagh, Mazen
© SANA (Syria Arab News Agency) 2007
