Address by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami, at the 26th Extraordinary Session of the Forum of Speakers of the Legislative Assemblies of Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico (FOPREL)

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful;

Honorable Speaker of the House of Councilors;

Honorable Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador and President pro tempore of the FOPREL;

Honorable Chairpersons of the Legislative Assemblies;

Esteemed members of the FOPREL;

Esteemed Executive Secretary General of the FOPREL;

Your Excellencies, Ambassadors, representatives of the Member States of FOPREL;

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure and a privilege to welcome you in the Kingdom of Morocco, which offers the occasion to renew the bond between the Moroccan Parliament and the Forum of the Chairpersons of the Legislative Assemblies of Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico (FOPREL), the bond that was forged almost a decade ago when we acceded to the FOPREL. In fact, this accession was motivated by the values we share with the representatives of the peoples of the region, especially our aspirations for decent living conditions, economic development and enhanced cooperation between the parliaments of the two shores of the Atlantic.

The convention of the 26^th Extraordinary Session today in Rabat is no less important than other events and sessions hosted by the Moroccan Parliament, including the 17^th Extraordinary Session and the 35^th Ordinary Session of the FOPREL in 2016 and 2017, added to my personal participation in the 33^rd Session, held in Mexico. In fact, our active participation reflects the keenness of the Kingdom of Morocco, under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God glorify him, to fully engage in the consolidation of South-South cooperation and support the regional and inter-regional political, economic, social, and cultural integration.

A fortiori, the wise approach of His Majesty the King has made South-South cooperation a constitutional requirement, a firm diplomatic imperative for Morocco and a cornerstone of its foreign policy, within the framework of a comprehensive strategic vision founded on the promotion of peace, security, stability, and economic development.

In this connection, it is appropriate to recall that the signing of the Founding Declaration of the African, Latin American, and Caribbean Parliamentary Forum (AFROLAC) reflects our engagement and will to give voice to the peoples of Africa, Central and South America, and the Caribbean, on the issues of peace and security, social justice, sustainable development, governance, the rule of law, and the respect of human rights.

Besides, FORPREL accession to AFROLAC embodies the inter-parliamentary cooperation between the countries of the South, as it represents a tangible contribution to the exchange of experiences and expertise and the promotion of consultation and understanding to defend the just causes of our peoples.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The countries of the South continue to suffer the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in terms of economic development. As everyone knows, many major projects have been delayed and the global economy has stagnated due to the closure of sea, air, and land borders between countries.

Now, it has become evident that the COVID-19 pandemic has had economic repercussions that may persist longer in some developing countries. Thus, we are required to intensify cooperation efforts to overcome these impacts and redefine priorities, given the lessons the pandemic has given us that we should not overlook. Perhaps, the most important lesson we have learned is the collective fate of humanity, whether it relates to its success and prosperity, or its failure and demise.

Therefore, it has become imperative that the South-South cooperation is currently one of the most important mechanisms to overcome the economic and social problems of our countries, especially because the Central American and Caribbean regions, on the one hand, and the African continent, on the other, enjoy the necessary requirements to ensure the desired economic takeoff, as they are both endowed with abundant youthful and dynamic human capital, oil and renewable energy resources, in addition to ample and diverse minerals, agricultural, water, fish, and animal resources.

In addition, Africa has become home to several economic clusters that take the form of either a free trade area, a customs union, a common market, or a unified monetary policy, in addition to the fact that the world's largest free trade area was launched in Africa in 2021.

In this regard, I am firmly convinced of the significant role of parliamentary action, within the framework of the international system, in achieving the South-South transatlantic cooperation project, given the role played by parliamentary diplomacy in uniting efforts, coordinating positions, creating initiatives and developing organizational mechanisms, in order to address the various issues related to our shared objectives.

In the same vein, we are pleased with the elaboration of the joint parliamentary program of action between the FOPREL and the Parliament of the Kingdom of Morocco, which aims to promote political dialogue, parliamentary diplomacy and the exchange of experiences and expertise with the Parliaments members of the FOPREL.

The parliamentary event we are holding today in Rabat will pave the way for a deep and comprehensive political dialogue and diplomatic cooperation, with the aim of developing common courses of action in the political, economic, commercial, academic, and cultural areas.

Now more than ever, there is a pressing need to develop an effective parliamentary diplomacy capable of not only finding solutions to current challenges, but also developing partnership and fostering broader prospects for multilateral cooperation. Thereby, our parliamentary work becomes a vehicle for strengthening South-South cooperation, playing its part in the economic development of our countries and serving the causes of our peoples.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The two Houses of the Moroccan Parliament, as well as all the public institutions of the Kingdom of Morocco, have been recognized by the international community for their leading role in promoting South-South cooperation in all fields and at all levels. Such recognition finds its roots in our historical ties and shared values that bring together the peoples of the developing countries in general, and those of Africa and Central America in particular.

The Moroccan Parliament's contribution to the construction and maintenance of the institutional edifice of South-South parliamentary cooperation stems from its awareness of the need for interactive dialogue to set, implement, and follow up objectives and programs.

As you are aware, the rapprochement between peoples and the economic integration that we seek cannot be achieved without bringing views together, identifying points of convergence and divergence, and coordinating political positions, which must be discussed during this session and others, with the aim of strengthening legislation and studies, generating knowledge, strengthening capacities, and contributing to the presentation of answers by parliaments to strategic issues.

One of the positive fruits and results of such meetings is the promotion of lasting bilateral relations of friendship and understanding between the representatives of peoples and the establishment of future cooperation between us.

Finally, may I end by extending a warm welcome to you all in the Kingdom of Morocco, and I wish the FOPREL every success.

Thank you for your kind attention.