Speaker of House of Representatives Meets Head of the Generalitat Valenciana

Speaker of House of Representatives Habib El Malki held talks, Monday, February 17^th, at the House’s headquarters, with Head of the Generalitat Valenciana (Valencian Regional Government) Ximo Puig i Ferrer, currently on a working visit to Morocco.

During the meeting, attended by the Spanish Ambassador to Morocco, Speaker of the House of Representatives highlighted the evolving ties linking Morocco and Spain. In this respect, he said, “the relations between Morocco and Spain are exceptional, and we maintain deep historical, civilizational and cultural links. Besides, there is a powerful impetus towards their consolidation, and the prospects for cooperation between the two countries are bright.”

Besides, Mr. El Malki commended the support given by the Spanish deputies in the European Parliament during the vote on the agreement on agriculture and fisheries between Morocco and the EU last year, which asserted Morocco’s legitimacy and sovereignty over its territory. Furthermore, he recalled that Morocco has launched the advanced regionalization project and suggested the autonomy plan as a realistic solution to the artificial conflict around Moroccan Sahara. In the same respect, Mr. El Malki complimented the Spanish experience regarding decentralization.

Additionally, the House’s Speaker lauded the strong relations linking the Moroccan Parliament and the Spanish Cortes. In this respect, he stressed the importance of consolidating cooperation between the Moroccan Parliament and the regional parliaments in Spain, especially the Parliament of the Valencian Community (Corts Valencianes), which is a major economic pole.

For his part, Head of the Generalitat Valenciana (Valencian Regional Government) Ximo Puig i Ferrer noted that the relations between the region of Valencia and Morocco are long-standing, saying that “the shared roots must be utilized to reinforce our relations and make them stronger.” He added that “Morocco is a gate to Africa, which is the continent of the 21st century. Also, Spain is a bridge towards Europe, and this is a golden opportunity to solidify relations between the two countries.”

Mr. Ximo Puig i Ferrer also revealed that his visit to the Kingdom, at the head of a delegation of leaders and businessmen from Valencia, aims at creating partnerships with their counterparts in Morocco, exploring new investment opportunities, and promoting economic and commercial cooperation.

On this occasion, the Head of Valencian Government invited the House’s Speaker Habib El Malki to visit the Valencian community and meet the Speaker of the Valencian Parliament (Corts Valencianes) to discuss means of consolidating relations between the two legislative institutions.