Qatar bolsters EU partnership and continues mediation efforts under HH the Amir's leadership, says Shura Council Speaker

Qatar has strengthened its partnership with the EU and maintained its mediation efforts, according to the Speaker of the Shura Council, Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim. Speaking at the second meeting of Gulf Cooperation Council parliamentary speakers with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, in Brussels, Al Ghanim emphasized the importance of dialogue, mediation and parliamentary diplomacy in reducing regional tensions and promoting global security.

Qatar's diplomatic initiatives, such as those concerning Afghanistan, Iran, and the Gaza Strip, demonstrate the value of parliamentary diplomacy in reinforcing these efforts. The Speaker expressed hope that the upcoming GCC-EU summit, scheduled in Saudi Arabia, would deepen cooperation between the two sides, particularly through parliamentary engagement.

The Shura Council speaker stressed the need for a strategic partnership agreement between Qatar and the EU, as announced in December last year, and highlighted the potential for cooperation in various sectors, including trade, investment, security, human rights, counterterrorism, climate change, and technological developments. Al Ghanim emphasized the importance of equitable relations between the GCC and the EU, based on respect for each other's sovereignty and national choices.

He called for more effective parliamentary diplomacy to promote dialogue, peaceful conflict resolution, and support for UN reform, as well as condemning Iranian attacks against GCC countries and Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia. The Speaker also reiterated Qatar's support for an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and called for effective parliamentary involvement in addressing the Israel-Palestine conflict and supporting Palestinian rights.