Speaker of the House of Representatives Holds Talks with Chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence at the Assembly of Ireland

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami, held talks on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at the Seat of the House in Rabat, with the Chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence at the Assembly of Ireland, Mr. Charles Flanagan, currently on a working visit to the Kingdom of Morocco.

Attended by the Chairperson of the Morocco-Ireland Parliamentary Friendship Group, Rep. Latifa Aâbouth, and the Ambassador of the Republic of Ireland to the Kingdom of Morocco, H.E. James McIntyre, the talks between the two parties covered the major projects launched by the Kingdom of Morocco under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah glorify him. The talks also tackled the prospects of consolidating the cooperation ties between the legislative institutions of the two countries.

Besides, the two parties shed light on the parliamentary experience of each country and their peculiarities and common features. In this respect, they stressed the importance of reinforcing parliamentary cooperation between the two countries through institutionalizing the bilateral and multilateral ties linking their legislative institutions via the solidification of relations between their Standing Committees, particularly the Foreign Affairs Committees, the consolidation of the role of the parliamentary friendship groups, and efficient communication by exchanging visits and creating spaces for continuous dialogue and sharing experiences, expertise, and good practices.

The meeting was also an opportunity for the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami, and the Chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence at the Assembly of Ireland, Mr. Charles Flanagan, to discuss several questions of mutual parliamentary concern, the situation on the regional and international parliamentary scenes, and the roles of Parliaments and Parliamentarians in promoting world peace and security and entrenching development in its various dimensions.

It should be noted that the House of Representatives of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Assembly of Ireland concluded a memorandum of understanding in Dublin on June 19, 2019. The MoU stipulates the contribution of both parties, according to their competences, to developing political, economic, cultural, and scientific links between the two countries.

The MoU also stipulates that both parties must seek the consolidation of parliamentary cooperation through regular dialogue and consultation under the shared interests of both countries. In order to achieve these goals, the House of Representatives and the Assembly of Ireland work on encouraging interaction between their Standing Committees and Parliamentary Groups and the exchange of views and opinions on questions of mutual concern.