During Her Participation at the 45th AIPA General Assembly, Rep. Salma Benaziz Highlights Major Achievements of the Kingdom of Morocco

On the sidelines of the 45th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, the Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs, National Defense, Islamic Affairs, Migration, and Moroccan Expatriates Committee, Rep. Salma Benaziz, took part in the parliamentary dialogue organized on October 20, 2024, on “Cooperation for Complementarity and Global Growth.” 

During her participation, Rep. Salma Benaziz highlighted several major achievements made by the Kingdom of Morocco within the scope of the New Development Model. Said achievements included the reform of the educational system, which aims to enhance the quality and coverage of education, in addition to the reform of social protection with a view to guaranteeing comprehensive health and social coverage for all social categories. 

Besides, the Foreign Affairs Committee Chairperson shed light on the efforts made to ameliorate the business climate in the Kingdom, noting the reforms that have helped attract investments and encourage the private sector, making the Kingdom the preferred destination of foreign investors. 

Moreover, Rep. Salma Benaziz noted the achievements of the Kingdom in the field of renewable energies, mentioning the role of the projects of solar and wind energies and water desalination plants in decreasing the dependence on traditional energies and strengthening environmental sustainability. She also noted that such projects not only drive economic development but also set the example for Arab and African countries. 

At the level of legislative cooperation, Rep. Salma Benaziz stressed the importance of cooperation between parliaments to advance regional complementarity and support the legislations that serve sustainable development. She also affirmed the imperative of benefitting from the common parliamentary experiences to reinforce the legislative reforms that contribute to reducing social and economic gaps. 

On the same occasion, the Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee praised the crucial role of the Moroccan Parliament in reinforcing diplomatic ties, adding that parliamentary cooperation is one of the pillars of Moroccan diplomacy and that the Moroccan Parliament contributes actively to encouraging regional integrity and supporting comprehensive development. 

Rep. Salma Benaziz concluded her intervention by putting forward the importance of cooperation between the region’s countries in order to achieve the common objectives related to development and stability. She also commended the Moroccan Parliament’s efficient participation within international parliamentary organizations. 

For their part, the participants from other member Parliaments in the parliamentary dialogue with Morocco lauded the pioneering role of the Kingdom in economy, diplomacy, and South-South cooperation, considering the Kingdom to be a role model at the regional and international levels. 

In the same respect, Rep. Salma Benaziz took part in the closing session of the Assembly on October 21, 2024, where the Assembly granted the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Federal Republic of Germany the status of observer member. The session also featured the handover of the Presidency of the AIPA to Malaysia, which will host the 46th General Assembly. 

On the sidelines of the General Assembly, Rep. Salma Benaziz held meetings with the Chairpersons of several parliamentary committees from Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The meetings focused on reinforcing bilateral relations, exchanging experiences, and enhancing parliamentary coordination to support the causes of mutual concern.