Manama — The Speaker of the National Assembly, Carolina Cerqueira, Sunday assessed bilateral cooperation with Zambia and Serbia in separate meetings.
During her meeting with the Speaker of the Zambian Parliament, Nelly Mutti, she reaffirmed the need to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in general, and specially between both parliaments, as a way for parliamentarians to contribute to the development of communities, promotion and preservation of peace, democracy and the welfare of the people.
The official mentioned the areas of education, food security, agriculture, free movement and mobility of people, trade and the availability of resources to stimulate mutual development.
Regarding Angolans living in Zambia as refugees, she stressed the need for the two parliaments to work together to break down barriers to social inclusion.
Carolina Cerqueira also stressed the commitment to revive in the minds of the younger generations the benefits of the common struggle for independence in both countries, as well as the need for consultation between the two parliaments on actions linked to the promotion of gender policies, inclusion of youth in parliaments, cybersecurity, primary health care, among other areas.
Conflict in DRC
The Zambian Parliament Speaker also pointed to the need for her country´s contribution to the pacification process in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), whose war could affect both neighbouring countries.
The Speaker of the Zambian Parliament expressed Zambia´s availability to contribute, in an active and effective way, to the resolution of the conflict.
Angola/Serbia
On the sidelines of the afternoon session of the 146th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Carolina Cerqueira met with the delegation from Serbia.
During the meeting, bilateral cooperation between both countries and parliaments was discussed.
During the event, the parliamentarians will discuss the organisation's strategies on climate change, accountability at all levels, and the transformation of speeches into actions to combat climate change, as well as the strengthening of climate legislation to reduce carbon emissions and support for a clean energy transition.
The Inter-Parliamentary Union is made up of 178 national parliaments and 12 regional assemblies. It is currently the main parliamentary interlocutor for the United Nations.