Verbatim report of proceedings

Thursday, 23 June 2005 - Brussels

5. Welcome

  President. Colleagues, it gives me great pleasure to welcome members of a delegation from the Parliament of Kuwait – led by Dr Nasser Jasem al-Sane – who have taken their seats in the distinguished visitors’ gallery as part of their first visit to the European Parliament. The delegation’s visit is particularly timely, coming just one month after the Kuwaiti Parliament endorsed the request made by the Emir, Jaber al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, to amend the electoral law in order to reflect more closely the Constitution by allowing women to secure the right to vote and to stand for election in national and local elections.

(Applause)

We in this Parliament welcome this historic vote and encourage the women of Kuwait to exercise their newly acquired rights in the general election scheduled for 2007.