Speaker of House of Representatives Receives Chairperson of Foreign Affairs Committee at Mauritanian National Assembly

Speaker of House of Representatives Habib El Malki received on Monday, July 5, 2021, at the House, Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the National Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania Mohammed El Mustafa Mohammed El Amine Zidane, currently in an official visit to our country at the head of an important parliamentary delegation.

At the onset of the meeting, the Speaker of the House of Representatives affirmed that the brotherly Morocco-Mauritania ties lie on solid grounds based on common history, religion, language, and civilization. Furthermore, the Speaker noted that the two countries share the same sincere desire for fruitful cooperation, recalling the phone talks that His Majesty King Mohammed VI had with His Highness President Mohammed Ould El Ghazouani in November 2020.

Mr. El Malki stressed that the region needs sustainable development, which "can only be achieved through ensuring security and stability and preserving the territorial integrity of States." In the same respect, he noted that His Majesty King Mohammed VI had set a renewed strategy for South-South cooperation and partnership with African countries in particular. Additionally, he highlighted that the Maghreb still suffers from shortcomings in economic inclusion and "time wastage, as the absence of a Maghreb Union costs the region countries around 2% of their GDP."

On the parliamentary level, the Speaker proposed the institutionalization of the ties linking the legislative institutions of the two countries through concluding a memorandum of understanding soon. He also expressed the strong will of the House to consolidate the convergence and cooperation relations with the Mauritanian National Assembly in a way that serves the interests of both countries and their peoples.

For his part, the Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the Mauritanian National Assembly noted that his ongoing visit to the Kingdom alongside the Mauritanian parliamentary delegation is part of the commitment to reinforce the cooperation bonds linking the two legislative institutions and to advance the exchange of experiences and expertise between them. The Mauritanian parliamentarian lauded the development that our country has witnessed in various areas.

Mr. Mohammed Mustafa Mohammed El Amine commended the Moroccan investments in Africa and called for more Moroccan investments in Mauritania. He also called for further economic and commercial exchange between the two countries, adding that “their relations are strong and historical and have to be preserved and developed." In addition, the Mauritanian parliamentarian stressed the importance of benefitting from the Moroccan experience in training youth, agriculture, maritime fisheries, and other sectors. At the same time, he lauded the Moroccan efforts to resolve the Libyan crisis and bring views closer between its different parties.

The Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs, National Defense, Islamic Affairs, and Moroccan Expatriates Committee at the House of Representatives Youssef Gharbi and the other members of the Committee bureau also attended the meeting.