RIYADH, 17 December 2004 — A Shoura Council delegation, which attended an inter-parliamentary meeting at the European Parliament in the French city of Strasburg yesterday, will visit the United States and other Western countries to share their experiences and exchange views.
Dr. Saleh Ibn Humaid, president of Shoura Council, received an invitation this week from the Speaker of the US Congress Dennis Hestert to visit US.A Shoura delegation is currently on a visit to four Western nations. Shoura officials and diplomatic sources said yesterday that the Shoura members are holding talks with speakers and members of the councils of representatives in these countries. These countries include Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Holland. In Strasburg yesterday, the Shoura members had a meeting with the European Parliament’s chairperson responsible for relations with Gulf states besides holding an inter-parliamentary meeting.
The move to visit many Western and Asian countries this month is significant keeping in view the historic reform initiatives launched by Saudi Arabia, where municipal elections are scheduled for Feb. 10 next year. Referring to the invitation extended to Dr. Humaid to visit the US, Abdulrahman Al-Sugair, head of Shoura’s public affairs department, said that “the message of the US Congress speaker is being officially circulated in Riyadh, which states that the Kingdom is a friend of the US and we are opting to have the opportunity to discuss many issues of mutual concern”.
The invitation was delivered by an American delegation, which recently visited Saudi Arabia. The Shoura official could not give specifics of the proposed visit of Dr. Humaid to the US. He, however, said that the Shoura members have been invited to the US to discuss bilateral issues and to attend some congressional sessions in a move to boost links between the two countries.
The visit will provide an opportunity to the US and Saudi parliamentarians to discuss the whole gamut of bilateral and international issues including war on terrorism and the Middle East peace process.
“The two sides will also discuss as how to forge closer cooperation in the fight against terrorism besides ways and means to promote relations in other sectors of mutual concern”, he said. A Shoura delegation led by Dr. Humaid also visited some major Asian countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Philippines early this month.
This visit of Shoura delegation also sought to know more about the power and functions of the parliaments of those countries and the role of parliaments in the governance, which varies from parliament to parliament.
