Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and President of the Parliament of the Southern Common Market Sign a Memorandum of Understanding Following Talks

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Hassan Benomar, held talks on Tuesday, November 22, 2022, in Rabat, with the President of the Parliament of the Southern Common Market Mercosur (Parlasur), Mr. Bittar Navarro Tomás Enrique, currently on a visit to the Kingdom of Morocco until November 25, 2022.

During the meeting, attended by the Vice-President of the Mercosur Parliament, Mr. Celso Russomanno, the parties discussed the means to promote bilateral cooperation between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Mercosur Parliament and some questions of mutual interest.

On this occasion, Rep. Hassan Benomar commended the strong ties linking the Kingdom of Morocco to the Mercosur Parliament, despite the long distance. In the same respect, he noted the critical role of parliamentary diplomacy in advancing said relations. The Deputy Speaker also stressed the imperative of working towards exchanging and sharing the best practices between the Moroccan Parliament and the Mercosur Parliament.

During the same meeting, Rep. Hassan Benomar informed the delegation of the Mercosur Parliament of the achievements of the Kingdom of Morocco during the recent years in several areas, mainly industrial acceleration, agriculture, renewable energies, water crisis management, and migration. In this regard, he highlighted that such achievements would not have been possible without the enlightened and proactive vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

For his part, the President of the Mercosur Parliament expressed his esteem and appreciation of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, noting that his visit to the Kingdom aims to solidify the cooperation ties at all levels, especially in economy and culture.

Mr. Bittar Navarro Tomás Enrique added that it is time to advance cooperation between the Mercosur Parliament and the Moroccan Parliament to serve their mutual interests. In the same vein, he called for uplifting the parliamentary ties, coordinating efforts at the international level, and working towards consolidating democracy, human rights, and all aspects that serve bilateral relations.

The members of the Parlasur delegation also expressed their will and readiness to cooperate with the Kingdom of Morocco and benefit from its experience in renewable energies, seawater desalination, and fertilizers.

Following the talks, a Memorandum of Understanding between the Mercosur Parliament and the Parliament of the Kingdom of Morocco was signed by the Speaker of the House of Councilors, Hon. Naam Miyara, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Hassan Benomar, on behalf of the Speaker, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami, and the President of the Mercosur Parliament, Mr. Bittar Navarro Tomás Enrique.

The MoU aims mainly to consolidate the communication and parliamentary cooperation bridges by exchanging experiences and expertise and coordinating on matters and questions of mutual interest.

In addition, the MoU enables the Moroccan Parliament to take part in the General Assembly and meetings of Standing Committees of the Mercosur Parliament and to express its opinion without a vote following the protocols and statutes of the Mercosur Parliament.

It should be noted that the Mercosur Parliament was created in 2006 to support the inclusive institutions in the South American trade bloc that includes Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

The Mercosur Parliament, seated in Montevideo, Uruguay, is composed of representatives elected for a renewable four-year mandate. It also includes ten Standing Committees and a democracy observatory and holds its ordinary sessions at least once a month.