On behalf of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum opened the Second Ordinary Session of the 16th Legislative Chapter of the Federal National Council at the council's headquarters in Abu Dhabi.
Crown Prince of Dubai His Highness Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince of Ajman His Highness Shaikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown
Prince of Umm Al Quwain His Highness Shaikh Rashid bin Saud Al Muala and Crown Prince of Ras Al Khaimah His Highness His Highness Shaikh Mohammad bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi attended the opening ceremony.
Upon Sheikh Mohammed’s arrival to the FNC, the formal ceremony started with the UAE National Anthem then His Highness inspected the honor guard.
Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Lt. General His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Minister for Presidential Affairs His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Deputy Minister of Presidential Affairs Ahmed Juma Al Za'abi, Chairman of the National Consultative Council Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Masaood and a number of Sheikhs, ministers and senior military officials, as well as representative of the diplomatic corps accredited to the UAE attended the session. President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Saber Chowdhury and IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong also attended the Opening Session.
Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid said he and the people of the UAE were looking forward to the further consolidation of the parliamentary and federal experiment, and preservation of the legacy of the founding fathers of the Union.
"From this platform, we salute the loyal martyrs of our nation, thousands of dedicated work teams, government officials and members of the FNC. We also salute those who work as one team for the service and glory of our nation, its flag and constitution," he added.
Following the reading of Shaikh Khalifa's Decree calling the house to reconvene, Dr Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Speaker of the Federal National Council (FNC) delivered the keynote speech in which she talked about the challenges and crises the world is facing and the house's strategy for the next three years.
"On behalf of myself and the FNC members, I welcome all of you to the opening of the second ordinary session of the 16th Legislative chapter of the Federal National Council," Dr Amal said.
Dr Al Qubaisi called for a joint FNC-government committee to address the challenges of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), a law recently passed by the US Congress.
"The committee will study challenges and negative repercussions of the Act," Dr Al Qubaisi said.
"The UAE is in a good position to develop new models of cooperation and integration to address rapid transformations around us," she added. "At the time when some are looking for security in walled communities, the UAE is building a bridge of tolerance to reach out to the world away from the hatred which is fuelling conflicts around us. While some countries are worried about an economic crash, the UAE is investing in happiness and encouraging its people to build a brighter future."
"The late founding father, Shaikh Zayed, saw a state that inspired the world, and the leadership and people of the UAE are today anticipating opportunities emerging out of present challenges," she added.
Dr Al Qubaisi said the house is ready to collaborate closely with the government to address transformations and challenges facing communities and states.
The house then approved its strategy (2016 - 2019), which defines initiatives, plans and guidelines that, according to Al Qubaisi, would strengthen cooperation and coordination with the government to deliver state policies and national visions.
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