The Meeting of the Sub-Committee on the Friendship Pact of Asia Manama, June 23 2008

The Sub-Committee on the Friendship Pact of Asia held its 1st meeting on 23-24 June 2008 in Manama, the Kingdom of Bahrain. APA Delegations from Bahrain, Bangladesh, Islamic Republic of Iran, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Kuwait, State of Palestine, the Russian Federation, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Syrian Arab Republic participated in this meeting.

The Sub-Committee exchanged views on many elements and ideas in the Report of the Secretary-General with a view to pursuing the objectives of the Friendship Pact of Asia. The Sub-Committee took note of the suggestions for further progress as set forth in the section IV of the Report of the Secretary-General. Most delegations expressed support for the third approach suggested by the Secretary-General at this stage, with the intention to further build on it gradually for engagement of the governments, parliamentary friendship groups, non-governmental organizations, and the members of the civil society in phases.

The Sub-Committee recommended a resolution on “The Friendship Pact of Asia” to the first APA Executive Council meeting of 2008 in which it was decided, inter alia, to adopt “The Declaration on Principles of Friendship and cooperation in Asia.”

The resolution expressed determination to promote public awareness about the “Declaration” through the media, hearings from, and briefings by, executive officials, members of civil societies and non-governmental organizations. It recommended that Member Parliaments take appropriate measures, in accordance with Paragraph 2 of Rule 46 of the APA Rules of Procedure, with due regard to their own domestic laws and practices, to engage their respective Governments in promoting the “Declaration” with a view to consider arranging a Joint APA Governments Meeting, when appropriate, and in support of the parliamentarian initiative on the “Declaration on Principles of Friendship and Cooperation in Asia.”

The Sub-Committee decided that the next meeting the Sub-Committee on the “Declaration on Principles of Friendship and Cooperation in Asia” will be held in a volunteer country or in the country of the President of the APA in 2009.