Address of Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami, in His Visit to the National Assembly of the Republic of Senegal

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Compassionate

Honorable Speaker and dear brother,

Esteemed colleagues, members of the National Assembly of the sister Republic of Senegal,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is with immense pleasure that I meet you here today under this dome, at the Seat of the National Assembly of the Republic of Senegal, the symbol of democracy, sovereignty, diversity, and political pluralism.

In my name, and on behalf of the high-level delegation accompanying me, I want to extend to you my heartfelt thanks for your invitation, for your hospitality, and for the brotherly reception we have received.

The Republic of Senegal and the Kingdom of Morocco have managed to preserve their historical links founded on a strong base that is tolerant and moderate Islam and the Sunni Maliki rite.

We share a common history that stems from the founders of these two nations: Their Majesties, the late King Mohammed V and the late King Hassan II, and the Presidents, the late Léopold Sédar Senghor, Abdou Diouf, and Abdoulaye Wade. Today, we are building a serene future, being a locomotive of a peaceful, strong, and autonomous Africa, thanks to the foresight of the leaders of our two countries, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist him, and H.E. President Macky Sall.

Honorable Speaker,

Esteemed colleagues,

The path drawn by our founders has enabled the creation of a model of social stability that has generated political stability and a distinct democracy that fits our contexts and cultures.

In that way, Senegal and Morocco form the pillars of regional, continental, and international stability.

This political democracy cannot be reduced to the mere exercise of renewing our deliberative bodies. On the contrary, it is the bedrock that enables the gathering of all society's components in a way that union means advancing together without marginalizing any party.

Honorable Speaker,

Esteemed colleagues,

It is thanks to this national union and political wisdom that we can address several cross-border threats, namely separatism, terrorism, extremism, brain drain, human trafficking, and other forms of trafficking.

These threats worsen due to the challenges of economic and social development that are inhibited by the constraints of climate imbalances and technological backwardness.

To face these challenges, our two countries have great potential and opportunities to achieve the aspired progress.

In this respect, they have been blessed with two strategic positions on the Atlantic and linked to the main commercial sea routes.

In this context, I have the pleasure of recalling the statement of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist him, in his speech on the occasion of the 48^th Anniversary of the Glorious Green March, where His Majesty noted, “The region along the Atlantic coast suffers from a significant deficit in infrastructure and investment, despite skilled human capital and abundant natural resources. With that in mind, we have been working with African sister nations and with our partners to come up with practical and effective answers to this situation within the framework of international cooperation…”

To this end, His Majesty suggested “the launch of an international initiative to enable the Sahel countries to have access to the Atlantic Ocean…and upgrading infrastructure in the Sahel countries and seeking to connect it to transport and communication networks existing in the region.”

Through this initiative, His Majesty the King underscores again the importance of wise African action to achieve the structuring projects that would benefit all.

Honorable Speaker,

Esteemed colleagues,

Our people expect us to build stronger bridges and accelerate our joint action.

For this purpose, we establish today an advanced brotherly partnership through which we will play the role of open gates for the rest of our brothers and sisters in the countries of the African Sahel, as they represent our African depth and considering that our prosperity and stability stem from their prosperity and stability.

There is no doubt that our two legislative institutions have prominent roles to play through cooperation, communication, political dialogue, and joint action within multilateral parliamentary fora, as well as through the exchange of expertise and competences between the National Assembly of the Republic of Senegal and the House of Representatives of the Kingdom of Morocco. Such initiatives can only contribute to addressing the challenge of participation, the reinforcement of institutions, and the entrenchment of democratic practice.

I reiterate my heartfelt thanks for your generous hospitality and warm welcome as a show of love by a brotherly population.

Thank you for your attention.