ROME: The parliaments of the UAE and Qatar will become full members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, an international forum comprising representatives of the national parliaments of the Euro-Mediterranean region.
The inclusion of the UAE’s Federal National Council and Qatar’s Shoura Council will be formalized at PAM’s 16th plenary session on March 9-10.
It will be held in Dubai under the presidency of Italian MP Gennaro Migliore and hosted by the FNC.
PAM supports the work of other international bodies entrusted with fostering security, stability and peace in the Euro-Mediterranean region.
It will be the first time that PAM will meet in the Arabian Peninsula since the organization, which has observer status at the UN General Assembly, was established in 2005.
“Our vision is that peace, dialogue and cooperation in our Mediterranean region isn’t divisible, and the Gulf region isn’t far away from us,” Migliore told Arab News before traveling from Rome to Dubai.
In the past few years, both the FNC and the Shoura Council “have been very active in all the activities of the assembly, especially regarding initiatives on counterterrorism and de-radicalization, as well as women’s empowerment and energy transition,” he added.
Developments in the Middle East and North Africa — including Libya, Syria, Lebanon and Western Sahara — as well as those in Europe — such as Ukraine and Bosnia and Herzegovina — will be on the session’s agenda, as will water scarcity, said Migliore.
“PAM has always been convinced that international parliamentary cooperation is the key to encourage national and international policymakers to harmonize legislative frameworks,” he added.
“This assembly is a unique platform for parliamentary diplomacy, promotes constructive dialogue and support initiatives.”
The role of parliaments, he added, “is every day more crucial for Mediterranean stability and cooperation because they can help to overcome issues and points of friction paralyzing governments in conflict or limiting their scope of action.”
