Dhaka, June 22 (BDNEWS) – Awami League President and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Sheikh Hasina Wednesday said the Asian Parliamentarians should conduct activities that would assist in uniting nations to overcome challenges like poverty, terrorism, human rights violation and environmental degradation of Asia.
"I believe that the association of parliamentarians would be in the enviable position to conduct activities that would not only be able to improve bilateral and multilateral relations amongst Asian countries but also would help meeting the challenges of poverty, diseases, terrorism, migration, human rights violations and fast upsetting environmental degradations in Asia," Hasina said while exchanging views with the delegation of Asian parliamentarians during visit to European Parliament at Strasbourg, France, says a party press release.
Delegation of Asian parliamentarians include vice chairman of the foreign affairs committee of national people's congress of China JI Peiding, National Assembly of Combodia President Samdech Krom Preash Nordom Ranaidh, junior speaker of the House of representatives of Philippines Jose De Venecia, speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan Choudhury Amit Hossain, speaker of the national assembly of the Kingdom of Thailand Dr. Bhokin Bhalakula, Awami League presidium member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim MP, international affairs secretary Alhaj Syed Abul Hosain MP, forest and environment secretary Dr. Mahmud Hassan and ambassador Ziauddin.
The delegations of Asian parliamentarians attended series of programmes organised by Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
Sheikh Hasina, the founder President of Association of Asian Parliamentarians for Peace (AAPP), said the intention and purpose of the association is to attain peace all over Asia amongst neighbourly and distant nations of diverse culture and ancient civilisation.
"I think Asian Parliamentarians could play a role to achieve objectives of AAPP," Hasina said. She also urged the parliamentarians to come up with coordinated approach to work for establishing peace in Asia as well as overcoming the malaises affecting the Asian continent.
Since December 1999, AAPP has been holding meeting on regular basis and consequently making commendable progress, Hasina observed adding, "I believe the visit to the European Assembly of parliamentarians have emboldened our spirit and has given us the understanding as to how the AAPP needs to proceed in achieving its aims and objectives".
Lauding European Assembly for inviting her to visit Strasbourg, she said the visit provided her with the scope to learn first hand on the function and the achievements of this assembly of parliamentarians from all over Europe.
BDNEWS/2046 hrs