Speaker of the House of Representatives Holds Talks with the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly

Speaker of the House of Representatives and President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami held talks on Thursday, May 4, 2023, in Ankara, with the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, Hon. Mustafa Şentop, on the sidelines of his participation in the 61^st Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation. 

On occasion, the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Hon. Mustafa Şentop, commended the stability and development of the Kingdom of Morocco, noting that they are essential determinants of the excellence and continuity of the relations between the Republic of Türkiye and the Kingdom of Morocco, expressing his hopes that the other countries of the region would enjoy the same stability as the Kingdom of Morocco. 

Besides, the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly expressed his gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI for his solidarity and condolences upon the earthquake that struck the southern regions of the Republic of Türkiye. 

During the same meeting, attended by the Ambassador of His Majesty in the Republic of Türkiye, H.E. Mohammed Ali LAZREQ, Hon. Mustafa Şentop lauded the strong bonds linking Ankara to Rabat, and noted that the Kingdom of Morocco is an important partner to the Republic of Türkiye in the Mediterranean area. 

In the same regard, he added that commercial exchanges between the two countries reached $4,7 billion in 2022, an increase of around 10% compared to the previous year, underscoring that about 160 Turkish enterprises are present in the Kingdom of Morocco, thus creating 10,000 job positions. 

In the same vein, the Speaker added, “These are good figures, but we aspire towards further exchanges through the activation of the cooperation mechanisms and the engagement of all institutions in this dynamic, including the Parliament.” He also called for intensifying high-level visits between the two countries. 

Besides, he congratulated the Moroccan Parliament on the success of the meetings of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean that took place in the Kingdom of Morocco under the presidency of Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami.

For his part, the Speaker of the House of Representatives reiterated the condolences of His Majesty the King and the Moroccan Government and Parliament to the Turkish people for the calamity that struck them last February. 

He also expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the Turkish position with regard to the territorial integrity of the Kingdom, noting that the latter shares with the Republic of Türkiye the same values of non-interference in internal affairs, the respect for the territorial sovereignty of States, the promotion of global peace and security, and the resolution of conflicts in pacific manners. 

On the same occasion, the Speaker of the House noted that the Kingdom of Morocco provides enormous and various investment opportunities and is an essential gate and link to African markets. In this context, he called for advancing the Moroccan-Turkish partnerships based on a win-win principle to explore the opportunities offered by Africa. 

Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami also praised the advance of the Republic of Türkiye during the last two decades, lauding the positive role of Ankara in the Russia-Ukraine crisis, particularly through the conclusion of an agreement on the export of Ukrainian cereals. The Speaker invited his Turkish counterpart to participate in the parliamentary summit on religious dialogue, to be held in Marrakesh next June.

It should be noted that the 61^st Session of the PABSEC kicked off on Thursday, May 4, 2023, in Ankara, with the participation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami. 

The two-day Session will cover the horizons and challenges of the PABSEC that commemorates this year its 30th anniversary. The participants will also discuss the role of national legislative institutions in consolidating peace and stability and promoting economic growth and other relevant themes.