BAGHDAD – The President of the Arab Parliament Union, Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, Muhammad al-Halbousi, called Saturday on the Arab countries to take a final decision to return Syria to its Arab surroundings, to work on its stability, stressing the importance of unifying the efforts of the Arab world to face all challenges.
Al-Halbousi said during the thirty-fourth conference of the Arab Inter Parliamentary Union, which was attended by the reporter of the Iraqi News Agency (INA): “We welcome the brothers in Baghdad, 40 years after hosting the conference,” noting that “this summit constitutes an important step in strengthening relations between Arab countries.”
He added, “We are aware of the importance of this Arab support in advancing towards a secure Iraq, a stable Middle East, and an Arab nation that grows and progresses in parallel with the needs of the times and the requirements of the current and future stage. Many outputs are expected in the conference proceedings in its discussions and proposals on the issues of the Arab nation, and developments in the regional and international arenas of relevant common interest and urgent importance.
He continued, “The time has come for the Arab world to unite efforts and discard side differences, to stand up to the current challenges internationally and regionally by formulating a comprehensive and realistic strategy towards long-standing problems.”
He explained, “The world today is going through very difficult circumstances, which require participatory work, exceptional efforts, and an intensification of efforts aimed at achieving stability and security, and at the forefront of these issues is the issue of food security that we discussed at the Arab Parliamentary meeting in Cairo, and the consequences of all the plans presented in terms of governmental efforts to implement them in reality”.
He stressed, “Iraq rejects the attacks of the Zionist occupation forces against our Palestinian brothers, and we reiterate today our firm and principled position on the Palestinian issue, and no matter how time passes and international circumstances change, we proceed from a firm vision and belief in the right of our Palestinian brothers to establish their independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds as its capital.”
He pointed out that “Syria in recent days has gone through difficult circumstances following the devastating earthquake, which caused severe damage to lives and property, and all of this requires us all to strive and continue the duty of support until the repercussions of the crisis and its difficult effects are cleared.”
Al-Halbousi called for “the Arab countries at all parliamentary and governmental levels to adopt a final decision to return Syria to its Arab surroundings, to exercise its Arab, regional and international role effectively, to work hard for its stability and rehabilitation of its infrastructure, and for the return of our Syrian brothers, who were displaced by the war, to their homes and country.”
