Speaker of the House of Representatives and His Entourage Hold Important Talks with Japanese Officials

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami and his entourage held talks, on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, in Tokyo, with the Speaker of the Japanese House of Representatives, Hon. Hosoda Hiroyuki, the Speaker of the Japanese Senate, Hon. Hidehisa Otsuji, and the members of the Japan-Morocco Parliamentary Friendship Group chaired by Mr. Nakasone Hirofumi. The talks are part of the working visit of the Speaker of the House at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart.

The Moroccan delegation includes Rep. Mohamed Ghayate, Chairperson of the Group of the National Rally of Independents; Rep. Ahmed Touizi, Chairperson of the Group of Authenticity and Modernity; Rep. Nourdin Moudian, Chairperson of the Istiqlali Group of Unity and  Egalitarianism; Rep. Abderrahim Chahid, Chairperson of the Socialist Group; Rep. Chaoui Belassal, Chairperson of the Constitutional, Democratic, and Social Group; and Rep. Lahoucine Azougagh, Chairperson of the Morocco-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group.

The talks focused on praising the culturally and historically deep-rooted ties linking the two countries, and their distinguished parliamentary relations. The visit of the Moroccan parliamentary delegation aims to consolidate these ties as it covers the means to that through the institutionalization of bilateral and multilateral ties, constant communication, creation of dialogue spaces, exchange of experiences and expertise, presentation of the parliamentary experience of the two countries, and discussion of several questions of mutual concern.

At the onset of the meetings, the Speaker of the House of Representatives thanked the Japanese officials for the warm welcome and the stance of their country regarding the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco. The Speaker also shed light on the autonomy plan proposed by the Kingdom of Morocco to solve the artificial conflict over the southern provinces, considering it the sole realistic, practical, and credible solution to it, which is confirmed by the great regional and international support it enjoys.

On the same occasion, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami praised the excellent links between the two countries. In this vein, he noted that the Monarchies of Japan and the Kingdom of Morocco are the safeguards of domestic and external stability and development in all its dimensions, underscoring that the prudence of the leaders of the two countries enabled them to overcome several challenges.

Besides, the Speaker of the House added that the Kingdom of Morocco has managed, under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God glorify him, to overcome several obstacles, address several challenges, and launch major projects in health coverage, social protection, renewable energies, food security, digital transition, and  agriculture. The said projects made the Kingdom of Morocco a role model at the continental and international levels as many countries attempt to replicate its experience and benefit from its expertise, considering it a model of security and stability at the regional and international levels.

Moreover, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and his entourage gave a brief overview of the roles and prerogatives of political and constitutional institutions in the Moroccan political system. They also shed light on the Moroccan parliamentary system, the relations of the legislative institution with the other branches and institutions, the bases of the Moroccan model, in addition to the security and stability the Kingdom enjoys and the priority it grants to the human element, particularly to women, family, and youth.

For their part, the Japanese officials expressed their pride of this visit, which will mark cooperation between the two countries. In this regard, the Speakers of the two Houses of the Japanese Parliament and the Chairperson of the Japan-Morocco Parliamentary Friendship Group noted that such meetings contribute to the solidification of constructive and continuous institutional dialogue and communication between the parliamentarians of the two countries. They also underscored that the visit would open promising horizons for multidimensional cooperation, especially at the commercial, cultural, scientific, and touristic levels, and enable for exploring the Japanese experience and model further.

Besides, the officials of both Houses of the Japanese Parliament stressed the importance of exchanging experiences and expertise, especially considering the existence of several shared questions of priority for the two countries. They also tackled the prominence of promoting commercial exchange in the areas of maritime fisheries and agriculture and affirmed the tourism capacities the Kingdom of Morocco encloses, which attract world tourists, and Japanese ones in particular, given the cultural, linguistic, aesthetic, and geographical diversity that characterizes the Kingdom. On the same occasion, the Japanese officials congratulated the Moroccan delegation on the results achieved by the Moroccan National Football Team in the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

During the discussion in their meetings with the Speakers of the two Houses of the Parliament and the members and Chairperson of the Japan-Morocco Parliamentary Friendship Group, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and his entourage shed light on several regional, continental, and international questions of mutual concern. They also stressed the important roles of parliamentarians in addressing said questions and innovating solutions as part of parliamentary action.