RIYADH: The Shoura Council and the European Parliament (EP) have set out a broad vision for bilateral relationship, especially in political and parliamentary affairs, to help boost links between the Kingdom and the 27-nation bloc.
Growing bilateral ties will promote better understanding, help find solutions to common problems and contribute to restoring peace in the Middle East, said Rody Kratsa, vice president of the European Parliament, following talks with high-ranking Saudi officials yesterday.
Kratsa said her visit was primarily intended to forge closer ties with the council, and review bilateral, regional and international issues of common concern. The EP vice president also held talks with Shoura Vice Chairman Abdulrahman A. Al-Barrak and discussed ways of enhancing cooperation further.
Kratsa’s trip to the Kingdom is important in view of the EP’s resolution a few days ago calling for increased humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip, end to the blockade, and immediate and sustainable reopening of crossing points between Israel and Gaza.
Kratsa is visiting the Kingdom on the invitation of the Shoura Council to follow up on matters discussed during the recent trip of EP President Hans-Gert Pottering.
Pottering, who called on the Muslim world for reciprocity in the domain of culture and religion during a recent visit to the region, offered the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) a stake in a new union of Mediterranean and European countries because of the growing influence of the Gulf states.
Asked about the membership issue, a spokeswoman of the European Delegation office in Riyadh said Kratsa held a meeting with GCC Secretary-General Abdulrahman Al-Atiyyah.
“During the meeting, they discussed ways of enhancing relations between GCC and the EU,” said the spokeswoman. It was, however, not immediately known whether Kratsa and the GCC chief discussed the issue of the proposed membership of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly for the Gulf bloc.
Asked about the itinerary of her visit to the Kingdom, the spokeswoman said, “Kratsa was scheduled to meet with a number of officials here. She already had held talks with Minister of Finance Ibrahim Al-Assaf, SAMA Gov. Muhammad Al-Jasser, and Minister of Planning Khaled Al-Gosaibi. She will meet Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal later today.”
She is also scheduled to visit Jeddah, where she will hold talks with OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu before traveling to the United Arab Emirates.
