Riyadh, May 26, 2021, SPA -- Sheikh Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Al-Sheikh, Speaker of the Shura Council of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, virtually chaired his country's delegation to the 142nd General Assembly of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in the presence of speakers of parliaments and councils from all over the world. At the outset of the meeting titled "the Role of Parliaments in Overcoming the Pandemic Today and Building a Better Tomorrow", IPU President Duarte Pacheco delivered a speech in which he affirmed that the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected societies and parliamentary abilities to address the emerging circumstances, stressing that parliaments must be ready to serve people. He indicated that the meeting provides an appropriate global platform to discuss ways to overcome the pandemic as parliaments can play a pivotal role in the recovery, stressing the importance of the role of parliamentary diplomacy in reaching appropriate solutions and facing problems in the future. The meeting focused on discussing the role of parliamentarians around the world in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic as well as strategies to confront its implications. Al Al-Sheikh's delegation included Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council Dr. Mishaal bin Fahm Al-Salami; Secretary General Mohammed bin Dakhil Al-Mutairi; and representatives of the four standing committees of the Shura Council at IPU. --SPA 19:39 LOCAL TIME 16:39 GMT 0037 www.spa.gov.sa/w1562707