HE Ahmed Al-Jarwan, President of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace, along with a delegation of the Council went on a business trip to Portugal and Spain, during which he met with senior officials of both countries and discussed with them the initiative of launching the International Parliament for Tolerance and Peace As part of a new global strategy developed by the Council to promote a culture of tolerance, dialogue, acceptance of the other and peace-building in the face of extremism, violence, hatred and racial and religious discrimination.
Al-Jarwan and the accompanying delegation met with Portuguese Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Teresa Ribeiro, who welcomed the Global Council’s initiative. “There is an urgent need today for such initiatives,” she said, stressing Portugal’s strong commitment to the principles of tolerance and peace.
HE Al Jarwan and his accompanying delegation also met with Teresa Vashkonoslos Kiairo, Deputy Speaker of the Portuguese Parliament, and MP Basilar de Fascuncelos, Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees of the Portuguese Parliament. He also had a tour in the parliament and attended part of a panel discussion where the deputies welcomed the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace with warm applause.
Al-Jarwan and the accompanying delegation visited the former Portuguese president, George Sampaio, head of the committee for helping the Syrian students in Portugal in the presence of the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates in Lisbon Moussa Al-Khaja, who held a luncheon in honor of His Excellency Al-Jarwan and the delegation in the presence of the Advisor to the President of the Portuguese Republic and the President of the Diplomatic Institute and a number of Arab diplomats.
His Excellency visited the Portuguese-Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry and met with its President Angelo Coraia and discussed with him the role of development in promoting opportunities for tolerance and peace.
Al-Jarwan met with His Excellency Pio Garcia Escudero, President of the Spanish Senate, in his office in the Spanish capital, Madrid, and briefed him on the latest developments in the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace and his continuing efforts to spread a culture of tolerance, love and peace and reject extremism, racism, and terrorism.
Al-Jarwan also discussed with the President of the Spanish Senate the importance of the role of national parliaments in achieving these goals and the importance of communicating with each other through a joint international action to support the efforts to spread the culture of tolerance and peace, as this is what the Council seeks through its International Parliament for Tolerance and Peace, which includes representatives from national parliaments around the world.
Escudero praised the efforts of Al-Jarwan and the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace and its international parliament, stressing the support of the Spanish Senate to the noble principles and objectives of the council.
For his part, Al-Jarwan praised the role of Spain and Portugal in Europe and internationally in supporting peace and tolerance efforts around the world.