Algerian Radio
The President of the Council of the Nation, Mr. Azouz Nasri, presided on Sunday at the Council's headquarters over the installation ceremony of the parliamentary fraternity and friendship groups between the Council of the Nation and the counterpart councils of several Arab and African countries, in the presence of the Minister of Relations with Parliament, Ms. Nadjiba Djilali.
These involve the counterpart councils of the Sultanate of Oman, the Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Bahrain, Côte d'Ivoire, and the Arab Republic of Egypt.
In a speech delivered on this occasion, Mr. Nasri indicated that Algeria, under the leadership of the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, ensures it remains "faithful to its historical mission of consolidating Arab and African ties, and defending the causes of liberation, justice, and common development. This is due to its deep conviction that the strength of the present and the construction of the future require the anchoring of this dual belonging as a source of power and influence at the regional and international levels."
To consolidate this belonging, "Algeria pursues, with confidence and determination, the establishment of bridges of African cooperation and solidarity, today as well as tomorrow," he added, emphasizing the importance of "an Arab-African rapprochement, given international transformations, the community of destiny, and the interdependence of shared interests and challenges."
Mr. Nasri also assured that strengthening Arab-African cooperation "is capable of opening broad prospects for sustainable development, strengthening security and stability, supporting economic and commercial integration, and offering our peoples a greater capacity to meet global challenges and defend their common interests in various international forums."
In this context, the President of the Council of the Nation called on Arab and African parliaments to translate this rapprochement into concrete projects and practical initiatives "contributing to consolidating a strong Arab-African parliamentary space, capable of taking charge of its future and establishing itself as an influential partner in defining the contours of the new international order."
With this in mind, the role of parliamentary diplomacy appears as "one of the most effective mechanisms to strengthen the rapprochement between parliaments and peoples, thanks to the free democratic platforms and forums it offers for dialogue, the exchange of expertise, the convergence of visions, and the defense of just African and Arab causes."
The installation of parliamentary fraternity and friendship groups constitutes "one of the most effective instruments to consolidate fraternal and historical relations and strengthen the bonds of solidarity and integration." It is capable of elevating Arab and African parliaments into "bridges of human and civilizational rapprochement, and contributing to shaping the contours of the new international order in a way that meets aspirations for progress, prosperity, and dignity," added Mr. Nasri.
"In light of the unbridled international transformations and the continuous targeting of Arab and African identities," the President of the Council of the Nation emphasized the need to "combine efforts and intensify consultation" to meet these challenges. He expressed his hope that parliamentarians will fully assume their responsibilities and serve as "a model of the expected integration, by preserving the dynamic of cooperation and consultation within Arab and African parliamentary bodies and strengthening coordination and solidarity in other parliamentary forums."
Mr. Nasri reaffirmed "Algeria's absolute support for the Palestinian people's resistance against the occupation, and for the recovery of all their legitimate rights, notably the right to establish their independent state with Al-Quds as its capital."
