Baghdad: Deputy Speaker of Parliament Shakhwan Abdullah stressed the importance of collective parliamentary work and joint cooperation among Asian and African Parliaments. His media office said in a statement, “Shakhwan Abdullah, Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, met today, Monday, while heading the Iraqi parliamentary delegation participating in the General Conference of the Asian-African Council, and delivered Iraq’s speech at the conference.”
According to National Iraqi News Agency, Abdullah emphasized that “Iraq has gone through difficult experiences and major challenges over the past decades, from a fierce confrontation with the forces of terrorism and extremism to the process of political and economic reconstruction and the restoration of its natural role in its regional and international environment. Despite all these challenges and security problems, Iraq has remained committed to adhering to the principles of sovereignty, dialogue, pluralism, and coexistence.”
Abdullah pointed out that Iraq still needs the support of friendly countries to address the water issue and its dangerous repercussions, including the decline in reserve levels due to neighboring upstream countries, and to work to guarantee its water share in accordance with treaties and agreements, away from political and regional pressures.
He emphasized that Iraq believes that this Constituent Parliamentary Council must be more than just a coordination framework, but rather an effective platform for unifying parliamentary positions on the crucial issues of our peoples, most importantly the issue of The Palestinian blockade of the Gaza Strip, which is witnessing a real famine and a humanitarian tragedy before the eyes of the world.
He said that the Iraqi Council of Representatives has a genuine desire to strengthen partnerships with parliaments in Asia and Africa and provide support for the exchange of expertise and skills at the level of legislation and laws that affect the public lives of our peoples and their living conditions.
He continued, “We emphasize the importance of collective parliamentary action and joint cooperation in confronting challenges, and the importance of expanding the role of parliaments in supporting economic policies through legislation and ratifying international agreements with the aim of strengthening trade policies and supporting free trade between the countries of the two continents.”