ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 31st Oct, 2018) The Federal National Council, FNC, and the Irish Parliament signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, to promote consultation, coordination and exchange of views on various topics of mutual interest.
The MoU aims to promote communication between the UAE and Ireland, the exchange of visits and parliamentary events, and the holding of bilateral parliamentary meetings, with the aim of coordinating their positions during regional and international parliamentary events.
The MoU was signed by Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Speaker of the FNC, and Sean O Fearghail, Speaker of the Irish Parliament, and his delegation, which is visiting the UAE on an invitation from the FNC.
Dr. Al Qubaisi highlighted the importance of the MoU in advancing cooperation between the UAE and Ireland, especially on a parliamentary level, as well as to the directives of the two countries and their efforts to improve their ongoing relations.
The talks between both sides, who highlighted the importance of respecting international conventions, especially the Charter of the United Nations, UN, focussed on several issues of mutual interest.
During the meeting, Dr. Al Qubaisi addressed the issue of the three Emirati islands occupied by Iran, which are Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Moussa, as well as the UAE’s legitimate demands to solve the issue through peaceful efforts or the International Court of Justice.
She also stressed the importance of international cooperation to counter all those who promote and finance terrorism while pointing out that the UAE is an active player in the international anti-terrorism coalition.
O Fearghail expressed his appreciation for the UAE’s efforts to achieve stability in the region and added that Ireland is keen to improve its overall bilateral ties with the UAE, especially in parliamentary areas.
He also expressed his happiness at visiting the UAE and the FNC while praising the UAE’s advancement in education, innovation and women’s and children's rights.
He added that the visit will reinforce the parliamentary cooperation between the two countries while praising the signing of the MoU, Dr. Al Qubaisi’s presidency of the high-level consultative anti-terrorism and extremism group at the Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU, and the UAE’s cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, as well as the FNC’s success in international parliamentary events.
Dr. Al Qubaisi stressed that the visit, which saw the signing of the MoU and an agreement, came at an important time, will help strengthen parliamentary diplomacy, reinforce political ties, and provide a better understanding of the UAE’s humanitarian, political and economic roles.
She expressed her happiness at the understanding of the Irish delegation of the UAE’s positions and its efforts to counter terrorism and extremism.
Both sides addressed investment opportunities and the economic ties between the two countries during the meeting, she added while stressing that the Irish delegation was impressed by the "Future Government," the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence, the Ministry of Youth and the UAE’s empowerment of the youth and women.
