Turkmen Deputy Chairperson of Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs Supports Autonomy Initiative as Only Solution to Conflict over Sahara

Speaker of House of Representatives Habib El Malki held talks, Thursday, March 5^th at the House’s headquarters, with Turkmenistan’s Deputy Chairperson of Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs Raşit Meredow, currently on working visit to Morocco.

During the meeting, Speaker of the House of Representatives lauded the favorable position of Turkmenistan regarding Morocco’s territorial integrity. In this respect, he added that “Security and stability are priorities in today’s world, and they cannot be achieved without respecting the unity of peoples and countries.” Mr. El Malki also noted that the two countries share the same views on most regional and international questions and share the same values of openness, positive neutrality and non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs.

Also, the House’s Speaker commended the policy of good neighborliness adopted by Turkmenistan, and the latter’s keenness to preserve high-quality relations with its neighboring countries. Mr. El Malki also praised Turkmenistan’s positive engagement in solving the issues raised before the UN, especially the ones relating to the future of energy, sustainable development, and others.

As for Parliament, Speaker of the House of Representatives revealed that the House will form a Morocco-Turkmenistan Parliamentary Friendship Group. In the same context, he affirmed that the visit of Deputy Chairperson of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan would surely contribute to giving new impetus to relations between Parliaments of the two countries.

For his part, Mr. Raşit Meredow stressed that Turkmenistan supports Morocco’s territorial integrity. In this context, he said, “We consider the autonomy initiative suggested by Morocco the only solution to the conflict over Sahara. Our position is based on the UN Charter that calls for respecting the territorial integrity of countries.”

Also, Mr. Meredow affirmed that relations between Morocco and Turkmenistan are brotherly, noting that the Kingdom was one of the first countries to recognize the independence of Turkmenistan and support it on the international level.

The meeting was also an occasion for the two parties to discuss several regional and international issues of common interest. They also expressed their mutual will to advance cooperation ties between Parliaments of the two countries.