Arab parliamentary conference due in northern Iraq .. historic -- Talabani
IRBIL, March 10 (KUNA) -- Iraqi President Jalal Al-Talabani described as historic on Monday the unprecedented holding of the conference for Arab parliamentarians in this northern Iraqi city, due on March 11-13.
The president, addressing inauguration of a new session of the National Assembly of Kurdistan (the local parliament), indicated that the holding of the conference in the predominantly-Kurdish city signalled unity and territorial sanctity of Iraq.
He expressed hope that the conference would be held amid a brotherly atmosphere, noting that the Kurdih natives of the city would warmly welcome the Arab guests.
Today's session of the legislative assembly of the Kurdish administration witnessed lectures by Noureddine Bouchkouj, Secretary General of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union, Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani, and Adnan Al-Mufti, the Chairman of the Kurdistan Parliament.
The 13th conference of the union is due to begin on Tuesday in Irbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan, with participation of representatives of Arab states to address various issues such as questions concerning, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Sudan, human rights, sustainable development in the Arab world, revising the charter of the federation and the election of a new president for Iraq.
The chairman of the local legislative assembly has affirmed significance of the conference for it will manifest the Arabs' support for the local leadership vis-a-vis of the chain of events witnessed in the country since 2003.
Ninetneen member states of the 22-country union will take part in the conference. Somalia, the Comoros and Libya have declared that they will boycott it.
