Euro-Arab Parliamentary Dialogue opens in Malta on Saturday

Dr. Noureddine Bouchkouche, Secretary General of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union, is in Malta to review preparations for the forthcoming Euro-Arab Parliamentary Dialogue, to be held in the House of Representatives, on the 8th and 9th of November 1997.

Dr. Bouchkouche paid a courtesy call on the Honourable Speaker, Notary Myriam Spiteri Debono at her Chambers at the Palace, Valletta, this morning, together with a delegation from the Secretariat of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union, whose Headquarters are based in Damascus, Syria. He was also accompanied by Dr. Alex Sceberras Trigona, who had earlier this year, in Dubai, proposed Malta as the venue for this Conference and is now co-ordinating it.

Dr. Bouchkouche expressed his deep sastisfaction with the choice of Malta as a venue, as Malta was excellently placed both geographically and politically between Europe and the Arab worlds, acceptable to both because of her Neutrality, and trusted by both sides to foster the degree of understanding and co-operation that was so necessary for peace and security in the Euro-Arab area. The Honourable Speaker welcomed the delegation, augured every success for this important international Conference and extended Malta's traditional hospitality to all the participants.

Dr. Sceberras Trigona, declared that he was delighted to note the the wide representation of delegations from the whole Arab world. Delegations from a very large number of Arab states had already confirmed their participation including those from the National Parliaments of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Yemen, Sudan, as well as from The Gulf Co-Operation Council and from the Arab League.

Dr. Sceberras Trigona, declared that this was undoubtedly a difficult moment in the Middle East where the Peace Process was fraught with increasing problems

and when the further justification of more extensions of the embargoes against some Arab countries, like Libya and Iraq, was not only doubted but seriously challenged by a majority of States. He added that these problems demanded a critical consideration by all participants, European and Arab, adding that the strong Arab representation was encouraging in this respect to ensure a reasonable and civilized appreciation of the problems.

Essential as peace was, Dr. Sceberras Trigona pointed out, the Conference would also give a high priority to promoting Euro-Arab economic co-operation. Indeed the project of establishing a Euro-Arab Investment Fund, possibly in Malta, would be actively considered by both the European and Arab sides as both stood to gain from it. Increased European investment in the Arab world would help to create more jobs there thus helping to reduce the problem of increased immigrants, legal and illegal, in Europe.