Karen Lumley MP led a delegation of British Parliamentarians to Serbia in March from the 12th to 15th March 2013 to improve Serbian – British relations and future co-operation between both countries.
A delegation of Parliamentarians from the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia visited the UK Parliament from 12th to 14th March 2013. The Slovenian Members of Parliament Ms Tamara Vonta and Mr Roman Jakič were joined by the Secretary of the Parliamentary Friendship Group Ms Milojka Nemanič. The visit was organised by Neil Parish MP, Chairman of the British-Slovenia All-Party Parliamentary Group, who are affiliated with the British Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
BGIPU convened a roundtable discussion on 13 March to discuss multilateral trade with a specific focus on the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the role of Parliaments. The meeting heard perspectives from Lord Harrison and Baroness Hooper who represented the BGIPU at the 2012 session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO in Geneva held 15-16 November 2012 which was jointly organized by the IPU and the European Parliament.
The work of the delegation reflected three connected themes. Firstly, our message of how the European Union stands to benefit from Croatia’s forthcoming membership. Secondly, how Croatia’s economy can now be improved through its 2013 European Union membership as well as through its existing Council of Europe membership. Thirdly, how in 2013 the UK can continue to help Croatia in general, and in particular advise on evolving sound working practices between its government and parliament and Brussels.
Our visit to Zagreb was timely, given Croatia’s imminent entry into the European Union as its 28th member. Our party’s interests ranged widely in the educational, cultural, community and civil stability fields. Trade, tourism, economic matters featured strongly with a natural UK bent. The sub-set of Scottish (and Yorkshire!) interests played well against complementary Croatian regional concerns.
This was an excellent visit that really benefitted from the preparatory work undertaken before the visit. The briefing meetings with the Gender and Equalities Office and the meeting with representatives from NGOs attending the conference were particularly beneficial. Both meetings helped us to focus on key issues that would be discussed at the conference and […]
A delegation from the Majils Ash-Shura of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia led by the Speaker, H.E. Dr. Abdullah Bin Muhammad Bin Ibrahim Al-Sheikh, undertook an inter-parliamentary visit to the UK Parliament from 4-6 March 2013. Accompanying the Speaker were Shura Council Members, Hamza Bin Hussein Al-Sharif, Zuhair F. J. Al-Harthy, Saud Bin Abdulrahman Al-Shammari, Dr. Said Abdulla Al-Shaikh and Dr. Omar Bin Ibrahim Rajab and two of the recently appointed 30 women members of the Council, Thuraya Bint Ahmed Obeid and Dr. Nihad Mohammed Al-Jishi and parliamentary officials.
The Chairman of the British Group Inter-Parliamentary Union (BGIPU), Mr Robert Walter MP, welcomed the arrival of a delegation from the Majils Ash-Shura, the Parliament of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia led by the Speaker, H.E. Dr. Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al ash-Sheikh.
From tourism and tax reform to wealth distribution and from new global trading relationships to diversifying from agriculture, the BGIPU delegation, led by the Vice Chair of the BGIPU visited the Legislative Assemblies of Costa Rica and El Salvador to learn about both countries’ broader geopolitical priorities
Whoever one meets in politics in Costa Rica and El Salvador, the gloomy presence of the drugs trade will eventually emerge in discussion. Previously by-standers in the drugs wars, these two countries now have Mexican drug cartels who have relocated in order to avoid detection and invest their profits.
