Moroccan, Algerian parliament speakers to meet during APU congress

Speaker of the Moroccan parliament, Abdelouahed Radi, and Algerian peer, Abdelkader Bensalah, are scheduled to meet here on the sidelines of the 9th congress of the Arab Parliamentary Union (APU) this Feb. 19-22.

We are going to exchange viewpoints on issues of common interest as part of parliamentarians' endeavors to promote rapprochement of their countries, the Algerian official said.

He further explained that the APU congress, to be attended by participants from 18 countries, will be an appropriate forum to heal relations between Arab countries.

He added that the meeting will reflect an idea of democracy that should not be used by powerful countries as a pressure on Arab states and to interfere in their internal affairs.

Participants will probe the creation of a unified Arab parliament, a single Arab market and will for the first time tackle women issues.

Bensalah went on that Saudi Arabia and Oman, which have an observer status, might be admitted as full-fledged members.

Sudan, whose parliament was dissolved, will send a representative to the meeting while Mauritania, who had boycotted the latest Arab interior ministers meeting, will be represented by speaker of its assembly.