Algiers: "I'm looking for a unified Arab Parliament which can be as successful and unified as the Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC], which has been effective and successful since its establishment 27 years ago," Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, FNC Speaker told Gulf News.
Al Ghurair, during his three-day visit to Algeria, met top officials and expressed hope that the Emirati investment projects in Algeria, which did not see the light yet, will go forward soon.
Al Ghurair held several meetings with Abdul Qadir Ibn Saleh, President of the National Assembly, and Mourad Medelci, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Mohammad LeKsasi, Governor of Central Bank in Algeria, in the presence of Mohammad Ali Nasser Al Mazroui, UAE Ambassador to the Republic of Algeria.
Al Ghurair said in a meeting with Ibn Saleh at the headquarters of the Algerian National Assembly that the aim of the visit is to strengthen the relationship between the two councils.
He stressed the importance of extending and cementing ties by adopting mechanisms which can unite Arabs and make them have one common interest. Al Ghurair expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the Arab Parliamentary work.
Al Ghurair said the Arab parliament, for example, did not achieve anything at the international level related to Gaza issues because of the lack of coordination between the Arabs.
It was agreed by Al Ghurair and Ibn Saleh on the need to seek the opinion of the Arab governments to develop the work of the Arab parliament and discuss the issues with Arab foreign ministers.
Ibn Saleh gave a brief on the Algerian parliamentary work while Al Ghurair talked about the experience of the Federal National Council (FNC).
Al Ghurair said Algeria has taken important steps in the field of tourism development and that he would convey this new image to the Emirati investors and encourage them to invest in Algeria.
In his meeting with Esmail Memon, Minister of Tourism and Traditional Industry, he said that the number of tourists to the UAE last summer stood at eight million.
Al Ghurair said that there were no flights to Australia 15 years ago, but now there are more than 100 weekly direct flights by Emirates airline, which contributed a lot to attract tourists from various countries of East Asia in addition to cargo flights.
He said tourism now is a major contributior to the GDP which is now 70 per cent non-oil and 30 per cent oil.
