Abu Dhabi Crown Prince attends Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee celebrations

HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, was among guests at a lunch to celebrate the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Sheikh Mohammed was representing The President of the UAE, HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, at the event for sovereign monarchs from around the world. The lunch was held at Windsor Castle, in Windsor, near London in the United Kingdom. HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was representing The President of the UAE, HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, at the event for sovereign monarchs from around the world. Emirates News Agency, WAM reported that the Crown Prince conveyed the congratulations of Sheikh Khalifa to Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and the other members of the British royal family. Among the other dignitaries attending were the Emir of Qatar, the King of Jordan, the King of Bahrain and Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.

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Pan Arab Parliament urges Iran to abstain from "creating problems" policy

Arab countries back UAE bid for Expo 2020

Cairo - The Arab Parliament has urged Iran to respect the UAE's rights to, and sovereignty over its islands, Abu Musa, Greater and Lesser Tunbs, and to abstain from pursuing the "policy of creating problems" with the Arabian Gulf countries. The speaker of the Arab Parliament Ali Salem Al-Dakbasi, in press release, described as "provocative" the Iranian President Ahmadinejad's visit to Abu Musa. He added the Ahmadinejad's visit provoked anger from Arabs towards Iran. "All Arabs back the UAE's defence of its historical rights and full sovereignty on the three islands." "This visit has exposed Tehran's false claims regarding its friendship and peaceful relations with the Gulf countries", Al-Dakbasi said. Iran needs to know that Pan-Arab security is indivisible whole and that Iran's friendship with Arabs should be inseparable from a policy of non-intervention and non-interference in the domestic affairs of other states and a keen interest in establishing good neighbour relations with Arab Gulf states. - Emirates News Agency, WAM

The UAE's bid to host the 2020 World Expo in Dubai was backed by other Arab countries at a Pan-Arab meeting in Cairo. Thanks to efforts by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs both regionally and internationally to mobilise support for the bid, the Council of the Arab League Foreign Ministers, at its recent 137th session in Cairo, announced its support to the UAE which has launched an official campaign to host the global event in Dubai. Dubai is vying to be the host to the world's largest rotating global exposition and is competing with Ayutthaya (Thailand), Ekaterinburg (Russia), Izmir (Turkey) and Sao Paulo (Brazil). Under the theme "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future?? World Expo 2020 in Dubai aims to serve as a global hub for ideas and a springboard for creativity. During his recent visit here, Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) secretary-general Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales said he was impressed with the qualitative progress he had seen in the UAE in terms of integrated infrastructure, and its professional human resources on Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE). He said the UAE has world class shopping centres, and transport and communications modes, especially in the aviation and mass transit sectors

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Positive Growth for Malaysia Tourism Sector

Plans in place to observe Earth Hour

Malaysia, which attracted about 21 million tourists in 2008, can still harbor for positive growth despite the world economic crisis and recession in Singapore, its biggest tourism market, said the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). Its Strategic Intelligence Director John Koldowski said Malaysia had been doing extremely well in recent years. While the recession in Singapore was bound to impact the number of travelers and money spent in Malaysia, there was still room for growth from the republic, he added.

For an hour on March 31, residents in the capital are being urged to switch off their lights and unplug unnecessary electric appliances to celebrate the spirit of conservation and global sustainability. The initiative, which will take place between 8.30pm and 9.30pm, is part of the Earth Hour commemoration in the capital. "Collective participation in this symbolic initiative of Earth Hour stresses the importance of conserving the environment and saving energy. It also raises awareness about climate change, and what can be done to tackle it using shared efforts," said Khalifa Al Mazroui, general manager at the municipality. According to a statement sent yesterday by the municipality, March 31 will also see a range of activities along the Corniche and across malls in the capital.

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Arab Parliament reiterates UAE sovereignty over the three Islands occupied by Iran

Cairo - The Arab Parliament has reaffirmed the UAE's full sovereignty over the three Islands: The Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa, calling on Iran to settle the issue amicably through direct negotiations or the International Court of Justice (ICJ). It called for speeding up holding of first round of Arab-Iranian talks, which will address the issue of islands on the top of agenda. Ahmed Mohammed Al Jarwan, Head of the UAE Parliament Bureau delegation to the Arab Parliament meetings said in a statement that the issue of occupation of three UAE Islands by Iran has been included in the agenda of the Arab Parliament to settle it, adding that the UAE is keen to participate in all regional, international and special parliamentary sessions, among others, Arab Parliament. He called for parties to comply with the Palestinian Reconciliation Charter, speed up its implementation and set up a national reconciliatory government and complement work of committee to develop the Palestinian Liberation Movement. Al Jarwan also called on the Arab Parliament to seriously support the Palestinian struggle, especially over Jerusalem, through assertion of the right of Palestinian people to resist the occupation in all forms. On the Syrian issue, Al Jarwan said the Parliament supports the mission of Kofi Annan, Joint Special Envoy of the UN and the Arab League to settle the Syrian standoff peacefully. The Arab Parliament denounced the blasts and violence, which claimed the lives of innocent civilians, calling for making the mission of international observers a success. � Emirates News Agency, WAM

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