RIYADH — Speaker of the Shoura Council Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Al Al-Sheikh will head Saudi Arabia's delegation on Wednesday to the 142nd session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and meetings of the IPU Governing Council. The meetings are scheduled over two days via videoconference to discuss issues related to overcoming the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the roles of parliaments in efforts exerted to fight the virus, in an effective presence and participation of heads of parliaments and councils from all around the world. Dr. Al Al-Sheikh stressed that the Council's participation in this meeting emanates from the concern and keenness of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's leadership to effectively participate in various international events, including IPU meetings, in a way that supports efforts and discussions that can result in reaching outcomes to preserve the interests of peoples and countries all around the world. "The importance of these meetings multiplies in this time, during which the entire world suffers from the COVID-19 pandemic and its repercussions on economies, countries and people, which requires joining international efforts and creating wider spaces for cooperation at all levels, mainly in the parliamentary field to reach proper solutions and strategies to limit these amplifications," he said. In this regard, Dr. Al Al-Sheikh added that Saudi Arabia has exerted local and international efforts in fighting the pandemic through adopting preventive measures and its endeavors to reach a vaccine, where these efforts received a wide international commendation. The Shoura speaker pointed out that the council's participation in this parliamentary event embodies what Saudi Arabia enjoys of entrepreneurship and weight in the regional and international arenas, thanks to its fixed and unaltered stances towards various international issues, which seek to realize international peace and security. He added that the Shoura Council, during this meeting, will join the international parliamentary community in reaching enhanced factors and solutions to overcome the pandemic, describing this phase as "exceptional", which requires all international institutions and organizations to work towards enhancing their efforts and cooperation to increase the level of confrontation of communities and countries with this crisis and limit its health, economic and social consequences. Dr. Al Al-Sheikh also referred to the great importance that the council attaches to activating its foreign parliamentary role through effective participation in all parliamentary occasions and events so as to share with the world Saudi Arabia's pioneering experience and convey its true image and stances, in addition to acquainting them with its achievements in all fields, especially in its efforts in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
