Conclusion of Meeting with the Parliamentary Committee in Charge of Monitoring the Pacific Alliance in Presence of Parliamentarians from Mexico, Peru, Colombia, and Chile

The House of Representatives hosted on Thursday, March 2, 2023, the joint meeting of the House of Representatives and the Parliamentary Committee in Charge of Monitoring the Pacific Alliance. The meeting featured the participation of parliamentarians from Mexico, Peru, Colombia, and Chile, and culminated in a final declaration in support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative in the Southern provinces of the Kingdom.

In his address on occasion, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami noted that the Kingdom of Morocco, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, has made South-South cooperation a constant of Moroccan diplomacy and a lever of its foreign policy. The Speaker added, “the Kingdom of Morocco, on the one hand, and the countries of Mexico, Chile, Peru, and Colombia, on the other, have the necessary potential to ensure economic take-off, considering their young and active human capital, petroleum, renewable energy, and mineral resources, in addition to the important and diversified agricultural, fishing, and animal wealth they enclose.”

Moreover, he noted, “All of this is part of a comprehensive strategic vision based on the strengthening of security and stability and the achievement of economic development, which constantly pushes us to promote cooperation and inclusion within Africa and open up to Latin America with which we share a common historical heritage and identical aspirations for the future.”

On the same occasion, Hon. Talbi El Alami added, “Africa, the continent to which the Kingdom of Morocco belongs, includes several regional economic blocs, in addition to the launch of the largest free-trade zone in the world involving different African states. Such initiatives open up vast horizons of cooperation between Africa and the Pacific Alliance.”

In the same regard, the Speaker noted that “thanks to its distinguished geographical position and diplomatic dynamism, the Kingdom of Morocco can bring the two parties closer together,” adding that “it was the first Arab and African country to obtain the status of observer member within the Pacific Alliance in 2014.”

On the same note, the Speaker thanked the Parliamentary Committee for the statement it issued in December 2020, in which it expressed its support for the measures undertaken by the Kingdom of Morocco to secure the Guergarat crossing. The Speaker also commended the continuous support for the efforts of the Kingdom of Morocco to find a solution to the issue around the Moroccan Sahara and for the autonomy plan as a realistic, serious, and credible solution to this issue.

For his part, Mr. José Ramón Enríquez Herrera, member of the Senate of Mexico and President pro-tempore of the Parliamentary Committee in Charge of Monitoring the Pacific Alliance, noted the Committee's aspiration to establish a stronger relationship marked by exchange and brotherhood between the Kingdom of Morocco and the members of the Pacific Alliance, praising the Kingdom of Morocco for winning the challenge of human rights. In the same regard, he stressed the importance of establishing dialogue bridges with the Kingdom of Morocco and exchanging experiences in democracy, human rights, and renewable energy. Besides, he commended the development that the Kingdom is experiencing in this area, noting that climate change poses a challenge to all humanity in addition to migration, knowing that Mexico is the third country in the world at the level of migration, given its geographical position as a transit country.

On the same occasion, Mr. José Luis Pérez Oyuela, a member of the Senate of Colombia, lauded the excellent bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Colombia, noting that the Kingdom enjoys great importance for Colombia, being its strategic partner and gateway to Africa and the Arab world. In the same vein, he stated that the Kingdom's deeply rooted history and rapid economic progress is a model to follow.

Mr. Pérez Oyuela expressed the commitment of the Republic of Colombia to pursue the consolidation of political, commercial, energy, economic, and cultural relations, as well as the exploration of opportunities to consolidate bilateral trade, taking into account the complementarity and potential of both countries, especially in the areas of renewable energies, trade, infrastructure, and tourism. In the same respect, he expressed the support of the Republic of Colombia for the autonomy plan, being the realistic solution to the artificial conflict over the Moroccan Sahara.

Ms. Maria del Pilar Cordero Jon Tay and Mr. Alfredo Pariona Sinche, members of the Peruvian Congress, praised the serious commitment of the Kingdom of Morocco in favor of the Pacific Alliance, stressing that Peru, despite all the challenges, continues to aspire to greater influence and cooperation within the framework of South-South partnership. Thus, the Kingdom of Morocco is at the forefront of countries the Republic of Peru considers as a model to follow, thanks to the experiences accumulated in many areas, such as digital transition, consolidation of democratic construction, and migration.

Mr. Miguel Ángel Calisto Águila, a member of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, focused on the distinguished status of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Moroccan House of Representatives as the first Arab and African country to obtain the observer member status in the Pacific Alliance in 2014, which consolidates the role of the Kingdom of Morocco as a political, economic, and cultural partner, hence reflecting the dynamic role played by Moroccan diplomacy in the establishment of cooperation relations with countries of the Americas.

In their interventions during the same meeting, the Moroccan House of Representatives members shed light on the expertise accumulated by our country in migration, especially since the Kingdom of Morocco has gone from a country of transit to Europe to a country of residence. Moreover, they stressed the openness expressed by the Kingdom to Africa and its orientation towards establishing an incubating and investment-friendly environment. The Representatives also highlighted the commercial relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and several African countries due to the strong cultural and religious ties that have contributed to concretizing these choices.

At the end of this meeting, the Parliamentary Committee in Charge of Monitoring the Pacific Alliance issued a Declaration which expressed its support for the Moroccan autonomy plan in the Southern provinces to find a solution to the artificial conflict around the Moroccan Sahara, as it meets the aspirations of all parties. The Committee lauded the Kingdom's leadership at the African and Arab levels and its strong commitment to fruitful and proactive South-South cooperation.

Members of the House of Representatives attended the meeting: Rep. Mohamed El Hafed and Rep. Hayat Laaraych, members of the National Representation at the Central American Parliament; Rep. Mohamed Hammani and Rep. Abdelali Brouki, members of the National Representation at the Parlatino; and Rep. Mohammed Touimi Benjelloun, member of the National Representation at the Andean Parliament.