Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Speaker of the Federal National Council (FNC), has received Dr. Saber Hossain Chowdhury, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) at the FNC headquarters.

First Deputy Speaker of the FNC, Abdulaziz Abdullah Al Zaabi, FNC member Jassim Al Naqbi, Assistant Secretary-General of Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs of the FNC, Abdul Rahman Ali Al Shamsi, and Bangladeshi Ambassador to the UAE, Mohammed Omran, attended the meeting.

During the meeting, they discussed cooperation between the FNC and IPU and ways to promote participation in IPU's events, activities and meetings, especially with the forthcoming 198th session of the Governing Council and the 134th IPU Assembly meetings due to be held in the middle of March in Lusaka, Zambia.

Dr. Al Qubaisi welcomed Chowdhury and thanked him for accepting the FNC's invitation to participate in the celebrations of its 44th anniversary. She also indicated that the celebrations are part of the UAE's celebration of its 44th National Day anniversary.

She added that the UAE, since its establishment, was granted a wise leadership which adopts the highest levels of democratic and shura principles and is keen on involving all segments of the society in the building process as well as ensuring that both genders assume pioneering posts.

She also highlighted the role played by parliaments to enhance cultural dialogues and strengthen ties among peoples to safeguard a better future for mankind.

On his part, Chowdhury extended greetings to Dr. Al Qubaisi for electing her as the FNC Speaker as the first female Speaker of the Parliament in the Arab region and the Middle East. He also said it is a leading and inspiring step for Arab societies, stressing that the UAE is a role model in the Arab region in equality between women and men and continuous and balanced development.

He also expressed his appreciation for inviting him to attend the celebrations of the FNC's 44th anniversary.

Source:WAM