Sharjah 24 – WAM: Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the Federal National Council (FNC), received, at the FNC's headquarters in Abu Dhabi, Igor Zorčič, President of the Slovenian National Assembly, and his delegation.

During the meeting, the sides discussed their cooperation in political and parliamentary areas, exchanging visits and reinforcing their coordination on matters of mutual concern.

The meeting was attended by FNC members Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi and Sarah Falkinaz, as well as Afraa Al Busti, Assistant Secretary-General for Parliamentary Communication at the FNC.

At the start of the meeting, Ghobash commended the deep-rooted ties between the UAE and Slovenia. He highlighted their keenness to strengthen their cooperation, and meet the aspirations of their leadership and people.

He also stressed the UAE’s keenness to support regional and international efforts aimed at addressing climate change, by reducing emissions and increasing clean energy investments. The country had launched the "National Climate Change Plan of the UAE 2017-2050", which is a roadmap for supporting activities aimed at addressing climate change.

The UAE was the first country in the region to ratify the Paris Agreement and commit to reducing emissions across all economic sectors, he added.

Ghobash then lauded Slovenia’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai, through its pavilion that showcased sustainability-related activities.

Zorčič stressed the importance of strengthening the parliamentary ties between the two sides, by organising bilateral meetings and parliamentary visits to promote the exchange of expertise and support agreements covering priority issues for both countries.

He also lauded the UAE’s success in hosting Expo 2020 Dubai, and its role in establishing bridges between cultures and civilisations and enabling those involved to benefit from sustainable initiatives and solutions to global challenges.