DOHA, QATAR. February 14, 2019. FSM Speaker Wesley W. Simina led a congressional delegation on an official visit to the State of Qatar from February 2nd to the 7th, 2019 as part of ongoing initiatives to enhance parliamentary relations. The visit came at the invitation of His Excellency Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mahmoud, Speaker of Qatar’s Shura (Advisory) Council.
Speaker al-Mahmoud officially received the delegation at the historical Shura Council Building. Speaker al-Mahmoud thanked the Congress delegation for coming such a long way from the FSM. He reiterated his gratitude for the FSM’s assistance during its 2018 chairmanship of the Asia-Pacific Group (APG) of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). He acknowledged the FSM’s part in Qatar’s improved relations with a number of Asia-Pacific countries as well as the assistance in securing Qatar as the host of the upcoming 140th General Assembly of the IPU this coming April 2019, an event of which Qatar was proud to be the first country in the Middle East to host.
Speaker Simina and his delegation discussed with Speaker Al-Mahmoud and members of the Advisory Council in-depth ideas for cooperation at the parliamentary level including in areas of education, health, and labor. The parliamentarians also discussed preparatory progress towards Qatar’s hosting of the 140th IPU Assembly from April 6th – 10th, 2019. The visit concluded with a tour of the Chamber of the Shura.
The Shura Council also organized various meetings and tours for the delegation including a meeting with the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. A tour of the Education City in Qatar showed how the Foundation has solicited and established campuses of renowned international universities to retain and develop the youth population of the nation.
The delegation also noted how the nation strives to diversify its future economy through science and research. The delegation also took note of the country’s commitment to preserve its culture through various social development programs including investments in various art and historic museums as well as the preservation of ancient literatures. The delegation was impressed by such important prize-winning architectural realizations at the Museum of Islamic Art and the National Library.
A tour of various ongoing infrastructure projects in the country, including a tour of a water reservoir and pumping station of desalinated water, also gave the delegation first hand insights of similarly needed infrastructures in the FSM, along with the determination of the Qatar government to meet the basic needs of all its residents.
Part of the program of visit as organized by the Shura Council included the rare honor of an audience with His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar.
In the courtesy meeting, Speaker Simina congratulated the Amir, the people and residents of Qatar, and the Qatar National Football Team for their historic championship win in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, further wishing the Amir and his country a successful hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The officials also discussed potential areas of development and cooperation between the two nations, and the 140th Assembly of IPU. The Amir embraced Speaker Simina and the FSM Congress’ friendship and close working relationship with the Qatar’s Shura Council.
The delegation feels the visit was insightful and productive, and looks forward to enhancing this bilateral parliamentary relationship with the State of Qatar. The FSM Congress and the Shura Council’s bilateral friendship stemmed from past Assemblies of the IPU. The FSM Congress continues to pursue relationships with other world parliaments with common development interests.
The FSM Congress delegation on this official visit to Qatar included Speaker Wesley W. Simina, Floor Leader Florencio Singkoro Harper, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Isaac V. Figir, Legislative Counsel T. Lam Dang, and Information Officer Andy Choor.
For more information on this, and other activities of the FSM Congress, please visit www.cfsm.fm.
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