Speaker of the House of Representatives Holds Talks with Ambassador and Head of EU Delegation to Kingdom of Morocco

Speaker of the House of Representatives Rachid Talbi El Alami held talks on Thursday, January 27, 2022 at the House, with Ms. Patricia Pilar Llombart Cussac, the Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to the Kingdom of Morocco.

At the onset of the meeting, the Ambassador of the European Union to the Kingdom of Morocco lauded the democratic atmosphere under which the legislative elections took place in our country last year. She also congratulated the Speaker of the House on the trust vested in him by its members. In the same respect, she stressed the importance of the ties linking the European Union to the Kingdom of Morocco and the keenness of the EU to consolidate and advance them.

Ms. Patricia Pilar Llombart Cussac highlighted that the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco are engaged in a multifaceted strategic partnership and share great aspirations and major challenges such as the environment, energy transition, green economy, migration and other ones. The Head of the EU Delegation to the Kingdom of Morocco also commended the reforms taking shape in the Kingdom under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, noting that the Kingdom is a role model in security and stability and a key actor on the African level.

The Ambassador also emphasized that the European Parliament gives great importance to establishing strong bonds with the Kingdom of Morocco. In this context, she praised the partnership linking the Moroccan Parliament to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the fruitful results of the cooperation program between the European Union and the House of Representatives as part of institutional twinning.

For his part, Speaker of the House of Representatives Rachid Talbi El Alami affirmed that the Kingdom of Morocco and the European Union share the same democratic values and face the same challenges. He also noted that the last Moroccan elections witnessed a significant participation, especially among youth, which reflects the consciousness of this category of the current challenges and its confidence in the mature democratic practice in our country.

The Speaker of the House commended the European support of the institutional twinning program linking the House of Representatives and the partners representing European parliaments. In the same vein, he added that the two Houses of the Moroccan Parliament formed a joint parliamentary committee between Morocco and the EU, expressing his strong willingness to consolidate coordination and convergence between the two institutions.

Mr. Rachid Talbi El Alami also applauded the great role of the Moroccan community living in Europe as a bridge for communication, security and development. In this context, he noted that the Kingdom of Morocco is a pillar to security and stability in the region. The Speaker also called for joining international forces to overcome the repercussions of COVID-19 and said, “We should prioritize development, economic take-off and respond to the pressing needs of citizens.”

The meeting was also an opportunity to exchange points of view and discuss several questions and themes of mutual interest, as well as the prospects of the Morocco-Europe parliamentary cooperation.