Speaker of the House of Representatives and Speaker of the National Assembly of Angola Hold Talks and Sign Memorandum of Understanding

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami held talks on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at the seat of the House, with the Speaker of the National Assembly of Angola, Hon. Carolina Cerqueira. The two parties also concluded a memorandum of understanding linking the House of Representatives of the Kingdom of Morocco and the National Assembly of the Republic of Angola.

The Speaker of the National Assembly of Angola is currently leading a high-level parliamentary delegation in a working visit to the Kingdom of Morocco. The delegation is composed of Mr. Alcides Sakala Simões, Ms. Maria Antonieta Josefina S. Baptista, Mr. Narcisco Damásio Dos Santos Benedito, in addition to the Secretary-General of the National Assembly of Angola, Mr. Pedro Agostinho De Neri, and some members of the Assembly's administrative staff.

On occasion, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Angola expressed her pride at this first of a kind visit by a Speaker of the Angolan National Assembly at the head of a prominent parliamentary delegation composed of the various political spectrums. In the same respect, she noted that the visit would surely contribute to giving new impetus to cooperation ties between the legislative institutions of the two countries.

Besides, Hon. Carolina Cerqueira commended the democratic progress of the Kingdom of Morocco and its excellent parliamentary experience. In this regard, she added, "We consider the Moroccan Parliament a strategic partner as we share the same values of peace, stability, human rights, and respect for the sovereignty of States."

For his part, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami underscored the depth of the historical ties binding the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Angola, recalling the great support provided by the Kingdom of Morocco to the Angolan people in their struggle against colonization.

The Speaker of the House also shed light on the democratic and institutional evolution of the Kingdom of Morocco, noting particularly the major projects launched under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God glorify him, in order to entrench the rule of law, the State of institutions, and the respect of human rights, preserve women's conditions, promote the economic and social conditions in the Kingdom, and achieve comprehensive development in all its dimensions.

During the same meeting, attended by the Ambassador of Angola to Rabat, H.E. Baltazar Cristóvão Diogo, and the Chairperson of the Morocco-Angola Parliamentary Friendship Group, Rep. Latifa Chrif, the two parties concluded a memorandum of understanding linking the Moroccan House of Representatives and the Angolan National Assembly.

The MoU intends the consolidation and expansion of parliamentary cooperation between the two institutions in a way that reflects the strength of the friendship bonds uniting the Moroccan and Angolan peoples and contributes to solidifying ties between the two countries.

Each in their area of expertise, the two parties will work on consolidating the political, economic, cultural, and scientific relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic Angola, and strengthening parliamentary cooperation through dialogue, consultation, and coordination of positions in regional, continental, and international parliamentary fora on the basis of the priorities set by the two countries.

They will also ensure the exchange of information, expertise, and best practices in legislation and the other prerogatives of the two legislative institutions. Besides, the MoU stipulates the exchange of visits between the Standing Committees, the parliamentary friendship groups, and the administrative staff of the two institutions.