Brussels, October 15 (QNA) - HE Speaker of the Shura Council Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim participated on Thursday in the GCC coordination meeting of speakers of legislative councils in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.

The meeting discussed coordinating Gulf positions and perspectives on the topics on the agenda of the meeting with HE President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, scheduled to be held Friday at the European Parliament headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

The meeting discusses ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between the GCC and the European Union and develop parliamentary cooperation between the two sides.

It also addresses a number of regional and international issues of mutual interest, foremost among them strengthening economic and trade relations, security and stability in the Gulf region, freedom of maritime navigation, international developments and their implications for international peace and security, as well as the role of parliamentary diplomacy in promoting dialogue and understanding.

The meeting also comes within the framework of continuing parliamentary dialogue between the two sides and strengthening coordination and cooperation on issues of mutual interest.

Participants also discussed the draft joint statement, the expected outcomes of the upcoming meeting, and mechanisms for following up on its results and enhancing parliamentary coordination and cooperation between the two sides.

In the same context, the GCC-European Parliamentary Committee held a meeting on Thursday in Brussels, during which it reviewed the topics on the agenda of the meeting between the speakers of GCC legislative councils and the President of the European Parliament.

It also discussed ways to coordinate perspectives and proposals regarding the meeting's outcomes, as well as prospects for developing the committee's work and strengthening its role in following up on areas of joint parliamentary cooperation.

The Shura Council was represented at the committee meeting by Their Excellencies Council members Mohammed bin Mahdi Al Ahbabi, Yousef bin Ali Al Khater, and Abdullah bin Nasser bin Turki Al Subaie. HE Shura Council Secretary-General Nayef bin Mohammed Al Mahmoud also participated in the meeting. (QNA)