Asian parliaments were urged to harness cultural and civilisational diversity as a force for unity and stability, as the 16th Plenary Session of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) opened in Manama yesterday.
Outgoing APA President and Speaker of Azerbaijan’s National Assembly Sahiba Gafarova said the assembly had made ‘tangible institutional progress’ during Azerbaijan’s two-year presidency, expanding membership and strengthening its role in parliamentary diplomacy.
“The Asian Parliamentary Assembly has matured into a significant multilateral platform for co-operation, constructive dialogue and solidarity,” Ms Gafarova said. “As we approach the 20th anniversary of the APA, we can confidently say it has become an influential voice in addressing shared regional challenges.”
She highlighted the expansion of the assembly’s membership, noting that Oman’s Shura Council had joined as a full member, while Belarus obtained observer status, alongside the addition of several international parliamentary organisations.
Ms Gafarova said Azerbaijan’s presidency focused on institutional development, activating APA Bureau meetings, improving co-ordination mechanisms and building consensus on establishing an APA budget.
“These steps are essential to strengthening the Assembly’s effectiveness and enhancing its capacity to deliver results,” she added.
She also underlined Azerbaijan’s support for intercultural dialogue, pointing to initiatives such as the Baku Process, the World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, and parliamentary engagement within global dialogue platforms.
“Peace, justice and prosperity begin with trust and mutual understanding,” she said. “Asia’s diversity should not divide us – it should bring us closer.”
Addressing the session, Omani Shura Council chairman Shaikh Khalid bin Hilal Al Maawali echoed similar sentiments, describing dialogue as a strategic necessity in a rapidly changing world. He said Asia – with its rich religious, cultural and civilisational diversity – has the potential to become a global model for co-operation and understanding.
He praised Bahrain’s leadership and people for hosting the event, thanking His Majesty King Hamad and National Assembly and Parliament Speaker Ahmed Al Musallam, who is also APA President, for the ‘warm hospitality and exemplary organisation’.
Shaikh Khalid stressed that parliaments had a central role to play in translating dialogue into action.
“Through legislation, parliamentary diplomacy and joint initiatives, we can transform diversity into a source of strength, stability and shared development,” he said, warning that extremism, fanaticism and isolation remained among the greatest threats to global peace.
The session also marks the official handover of the APA presidency from Azerbaijan to Bahrain, with delegates expressing confidence in Bahrain’s leadership of the assembly in the coming year.
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