Morocco, France Set to Promote Parliamentary Cooperation

chairman of the Morocco-France Parliamentary Friendship Group in the House of Representatives, Habib El Malki, met, Saturday at the headquarters of the House, with a delegation of French MPs and elected officials currently visiting the Kingdom at the initiative of the “Cercle Eugène Delacroix”. At the beginning of this meeting with the French delegation led by vice-president of the French Senate, Vincent Delahaye, El Malki stressed the strong historical ties uniting Morocco and France, recalling the great sacrifices of Moroccan soldiers and their distinguished contribution to the liberation of France during the Second World War, said a statement by the House of Representatives. He noted, in this sense, that relations between the two countries are multidimensional covering, among other things, the human, civilizational, economic and political aspects. El Malki reviewed, on this occasion, the reforms and major projects undertaken in the Kingdom, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the integrated development of the various provinces and regions, including the southern provinces, the efforts of Morocco to consolidate South-South cooperation, especially with the countries of the African continent, in addition to its contribution to the establishment of peace and stability in the region of the Mediterranean Basin and in Africa. For his part, Delahaye said that Morocco is “an eminently important partner for France in Africa and the Maghreb,” praising the remarkable progress made in the southern provinces of the Kingdom, including the city of Dakhla. He also noted that Morocco is a portal to Africa, calling for the consolidation of bilateral relations to open new opportunities for cooperation in the interests of both countries. After emphasizing the strength of the foundation on which French-Moroccan relations are based, the members of the French delegation, which includes MPs, elected officials and businessmen, noted that Morocco is the first economic partner of France in Africa, recalling that the French community residing in Morocco stands at around 100,000 people. In this context, they welcomed the leadership of the Kingdom in the field of renewable energy, in the fight against the adverse effects of climate change, in the promotion of peace and stability and in counter-terrorism, said the statement.