NNA – Speaker of the Arab Parliament, Adel bin Abdul Rahman Al-Asoumi, discussed with the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Tulia Ackson, ways to enhance cooperation between the Arab Parliament and the Union, based on the memorandum of understanding signed between bothnbsp;sides that includes many areas of cooperation,nbsp;most importantlynbsp;activating the role of parliamentary diplomacy.

Building the capabilities of parliamentarians, empowering women and youth, and enhancing the role of parliamentarians in combating terrorism also featured highly duringnbsp;their discussions.

The encounternbsp;came onnbsp;the sidelines of the meetings of the 148th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which was held in Geneva betweennbsp;March 23 amp;nbsp;27.

During their talks, Al-Asoumi stressed the importance of Arab countries hosting more IPU meetings and having greater representation in the main bodies of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, based on the important voting bloc that Arab parliaments represent within the Union.

In turn, Ackson emphasized that ldquo;the Arab Parliament plays an active and important role in the work of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and represents the interests of an important segment of Arab parliaments,rdquo; expressing her aspiration to activate cooperation mechanisms with the Arab Parliament in many areas that serve to strengthen the role of parliamentary diplomacy.

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===========R.Sh.