The Shura Council State of Qatar

HE Speaker of the Shura Council Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud and President of the 140th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), chaired the closing session of the General Assembly and its accompanying meetings, which concluded this evening at the Sheraton Doha Hotel.

The closing session was attended by HE President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Gabriela Cuevas Barron, HE Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Martin Chunggong, and Their Excellencies, Speakers of Parliaments and Delegations.

HE Speaker of the Shura Council, said in his speech at the closing session that after five days of hard work and intensive meetings of the General Assembly, the Governing Council, the Executive Committee, the Standing and Sub-Committees, and in several workshops organized in parallel with the IPU bodies, finished work and come up with the results that all had worked towards.

His Excellency stressed that the Shura Council in Qatar has fulfilled its promise to organize the meetings of the 140th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the accompanying meetings in a short time not exceeding five months and mobilized all energies in order to make this important event a milestone in the history of the Union.

His Excellency added that he is pleased to confirm that, Qatar have won the bet despite the unjust blockade and All meetings have been successful and useful in light of unprecedented experiences and record participation. The number of countries that participated in parliamentary meetings reached 162, led by 80 presidents of parliament and 40 vice-presidents.

The meetings was attended by seven participants, 30 observers and a number of distinguished guests from around the world, and Qatar expresses thanks and appreciation for the unprecedented attendance and those who expressed their rejection of this false and illegitimate blockade both in the General Assembly and in the meetings.

His Excellency pointed out that the city of Doha was the focus of the world's attention this week due to the visit of legislators around the world, where everyone had the opportunity to express freely and without restrictions their views, perceptions and positions.

His Excellency noted that the participation of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, during the opening session of the General Assembly and the accompanying meetings, affirmed the great interest HH the Amir paid to the parliamentary institution, the human issues and the effective solidarity that must prevail in the relations between the components of the international community.

His Excellency added that the speech of HH the Amir was a meaningful and objective speech that addressed the topics that were carefully and objectively included in our agenda.

HE Speaker of the Shura Council thanked the heads of parliaments and delegations for their presence and their constructive participation in the various meetings, especially HE the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, HE the Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, members of the Secretariat of the Union, members and staff of the Shura Council, members of the National Organizing Committee and its subcommittees and representatives of international organizations and regional federations and distinguished guests.

HE also thanked all those who worked for the success of this historic event, especially the staff of translators, interpreters and volunteers in various locations, security men, medical staff and all those who worked to provide a good atmosphere for work.

His Excellency said: "We would like to make this success a good starting point for our fruitful and constructive cooperation with the IPU and all parliaments of the world and promised to continue to communicate with the participants to enhance brotherhood and friendship relations in the meetings held in Qatar, and to work with them to develop relations, serve people and support just causes and humanity issues.