On Saturday, the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union announced the formation of a delegation to visit Syria. The delegation’s purpose is to emphasize its support and solidarity with the Syrian people while continuing to provide the necessary support to help Syria after the earthquake that struck several of its regions. The delegation stressed the need for joint Arab action at all levels to return Syria to its Arab brethren and exercise its role in regional and international arenas.
According to the official Iraqi news agency Ina, the President of the Union, Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, Mohammed Al-Halbousi, gave a speech to conclude the 34th conference of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union, which was held in Baghdad on Saturday. The conference included participants from Syria and the heads of Arab parliaments. Halbousi said: “It was decided to form a delegation from the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union to visit Syria, confirming our support for the Syrian people.”
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According to Ina’s Telegram channel, Halbousi called for increasing regional cooperation and coordination to end the scourge of terrorism. He stressed the importance of strengthening the foundations of joint Arab action and the importance of maintaining dialogue between brotherly nations.
Ina published the “text of the draft Baghdad Declaration,” which included the formation of a Union delegation to emphasize support for Syria and stand by the Syrian people. It will continue to provide the necessary support to help Syria after the earthquake that struck a number of its regions. The declaration stressed the need for joint Arab action at all levels to return Syria to its Arab surroundings and exercise its role in regional and international arenas.
Halbousi renewed his demand that Arab countries at all parliamentary and governmental levels adopt a final decision to return Syria to its Arab surroundings and exercise its regional and international role effectively. According to SANA, the countries should work hard to stabilize Syria, rehabilitate its infrastructure, and return Syrian refugees to their homeland.
Halbousi said: “Recently, Syria has endured difficult circumstances following the devastating earthquake that caused severe human and property damage. All of this obliges us to seek and continue the duty of support until the repercussions of the crisis and its troubling impacts are resolved.”
“It is time for the Arab fraternity to unite efforts and reject petty differences to stand up to the current challenges internationally and regionally by formulating a comprehensive and realistic strategy towards the long-outstanding problems,” Halbousi said. He stressed that this summit constitutes an important step in strengthening relations between Arab countries.
In his speech, Jordanian Parliament Speaker Ahmad Safadi called for Syria to return to its Arab surroundings and to be an effective and influential member of Arab decision-making and various institutions.
He said: “Syria is the beating heart of the region and the title of the nation’s history, glory and civilization. It has been wounded by the painful earthquake disaster, which requires us to intensify aid and relief for its authentic people.”
For his part, the Speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, expressed his condolences to the Syrian people for the victims of the earthquake. He said: “I call on the heads of parliaments and councils, members of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union, to declare their solidarity and stand by the Syrian people in their plight, and to demand the lifting of the economic siege and sanctions that exacerbated Syrians’ suffering and hindered rescue and relief operations in the areas affected by the earthquake.”
He added: “Through this solidarity, we affirm our respect for the will and wishes of the Syrian people, as represented in their parliament as the elected legislative body.”
In his speech, the Speaker of the People’s Assembly, Hammoudeh Sabbagh, called on regional and international parliamentary bodies and United Nations member states to actively exert pressure on Western countries that impose unjust economic measures on the Syrian people to lift them immediately and to take urgent action to break the unjust siege on them and to extend a helping hand to them to overcome the effects of the earthquake disaster.
He said: “We hope that this meeting will be a major step towards strengthening and consolidating the process of Arab cooperation and solidarity in terms of activating Arab action. It should be a starting point for deepening the ties of Arab brotherhood and standing united in the face of the dangers and challenges facing our one Arab nation.”
Sabbagh stressed the need to continue coordinating, consolidating and building on Arab parliamentary relations to jointly confront the forces of domination, occupation and terrorism. “We are a people who have proven that they are capable of taking difficult tests,” he added. “our language is united, our history is united, our enemy is united, our battle is united, and our destiny is united.”
Sabbagh expressed Syria’s thanks to all the Arab brothers and friends who have expressed their deep sense of true belonging to true Arabism and deep-rooted brotherhood over the past few days. They have done so by taking honourable positions, whether through aid, rescue teams, telephone calls, letters and telegrams, or coming to Syria to express their support, sympathy and sincere condolences to the Syrian people as a result of the devastating earthquake that struck several governorates and led to a major humanitarian catastrophe. The earthquake left behind thousands of victims, injuries, and huge material losses.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
