Memo on the Asian Parliamentary Assembly
The founding basis of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly was to bring the direction of parliaments across Asia closer together—while remaining cognizant of the fact that this could be an arduous task based on the immensely diverse cultures and differing outlooks in the world’s largest continent. In spite of the difference in the systems of government and the status of parliaments in each country, there are nonetheless reliable common denominators among Asian countries that provide a solid base for cooperation.
The promotion of democracy and justice, rejection of foreign interference, and reliable energy supplies are, for example, shared concerns of all members. The fact that 40 percent of the world’s produced oil comes from western Asia and that same percentage is consumed by East Asian countries, shows how profoundly a direct connection between the east and west of the continent can influence the energy market.
APA members can define diverse fields of cooperation among themselves, relying on their shared interests and potentials. Cooperation among Turkey, Russia, India, Indonesia, China, and Asia as permanent members of the assembly, and Japan as the observing member, can lead to crucial decisions. And the fact that Russia and Turkey –seldom thought of as Asian states- have joined the Assembly, speaks for itself.
Top of the agenda in negotiations among members of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) Gaza troika –a group formed by Iran, Syria and Indonesia- was Israel’s latest crime, namely, the raid on the Gaza aid flotilla in international waters. The troika had held a similar meeting in Syria when the Israeli military attacked Gaza during operation Cast Lead in the winter of 2008-2009, claiming that it intended to root out Hamas –and therefore terrorism.
During the talks, Indonesia, Iran, and Syria -the latter two powerful political actors in the Middle East - discussed ways to break the Gaza embargo. While the three countries share one voice in supporting the Palestinian nation, Israel’s atrocious attack on the Gaza humanitarian fleet has contributed further to their closeness. Few countries disagree with the fact that, even under the loosest interpretation, the Israeli massacre was a blatant breach of all respected international and maritime laws and norms (though unfortunately—and in opposition to the support of the APA and the Gaza Troika for the Palestinian nation—we are witnessing the hypocritical attempt of some Western countries to block any UN Security Council resolutions which might condemn Israel’s criminal act.).