The Shura Council State of Qatar

 HE Speaker of the Shura Council, Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim, has affirmed the State of Qatar's unwavering commitment to strengthening joint parliamentary work among Asian countries, emphasizing the importance of cooperation in achieving sustainable development and economic prosperity, which would positively impact Asian nations and support regional stability.

Addressing the inaugural session of the meeting of the Standing Committee on Budget and Planning of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) which is hosted by Doha, His Excellency underlined Qatar's belief in the importance of dialogue and coordination among the Asian parliaments to surmount the shared challenges and craft effective collaborative strategies.

He pointed out that the State of Qatar, under the leadership of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, exerts significant efforts to enhance cooperation in all realms, citing the Third Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Summit, hosted by Doha last October, as a key step toward reinvigorating constructive dialogue and forging strategic partnerships among Asian countries to achieve shared objectives.

His Excellency highlighted that hosting these meetings in Doha underscores Qatar's commitment to playing a leading role in strengthening joint parliamentary action. He indicated that these meetings are a crucial milestone for presenting innovative ideas and solutions to the financial and planning challenges facing the APA, particularly in light of the complex global economic conditions.

HE the Speaker of the Shura Council elucidated that economic cooperation and sustainable development are among the top priorities in Asian parliamentary discussions, stressing that overwhelming challenges such as poverty and climate change require holistic solutions and integrated international cooperation.

HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim affirmed that education and the advancement of human capacities represent two core pillars for achieving comprehensive and sustainable development, enabling Asian communities to build generations capable of advancing a brighter and enduring future.

HE Al Ghanim highlighted that the development of joint infrastructure strengthens ties among nations, expedites trade and technological exchange, and thus accelerates the growth of Asian economies while enhancing regional cooperation. He underlined that the role of parliaments goes beyond enacting laws and legislation, extending to achieving a balance between economic and sociopolitical objectives to ensure the sustainability of resources and fulfill nations' aspirations for a prosperous future.

His Excellency hoped that these meetings would generate effective outcomes in line with the scale of the current challenges and meet the shared ambitions of the Asian countries, emphasizing the importance of having pragmatic and actionable discussions to enhance joint parliamentary action and give impetus to socioeconomic development.

In his closing remarks at the inauguration of the committee's meeting, HE the Speaker of the Shura Council, Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim, underlined that these meetings provide a unique opportunity to share expertise and offer innovative strategic perspectives. He called on those in attendance to fully capitalize on this convention to strengthen dialogue and ties among Asian parliaments, aiming to build a more sustainable and secure future for the peoples of Asia. This would help boost the spirit of collaboration and fraternity among all, in addition to fostering an environment for discussion and the sharing of constructive ideas.

The meeting of the APA Standing Committee on Budget and Planning brings together parliamentary delegations from APA member states and will continue until Wednesday, Oct. 6, to discuss the APA budget, review the committee's work reports, and provide updates on its activities.

On the margins of the opening session, HE the Speaker of the Shura Council, Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim, held separate meetings with the Deputy Chairman of the State Duma at the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and head of the Russian parliamentary delegation, Chernyshov Boris Alexandrovich, as well as HE Member of the Consultative Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran and member of the Iranian parliamentary delegation to the meeting, Dr. Mohsen Zanganeh.

The meetings addressed existing parliamentary relations and avenues for strengthening them, in addition to a range of topics on the meetings agenda.

A host of Their Excellencies, members of the Shura Council, attended the opening session and the two meetings.