Upper House: Morocco-Ireland Parliamentary Friendship Groups Hold First Meeting

The Morocco-Ireland parliamentary friendship groups in the House of Councillors and in the Irish Senate held, on Tuesday, their first joint meeting by videoconference. On this occasion, the two parties expressed the common will to strengthen their bilateral relations through projects of common interest, in the framework of a win-win partnership, in various fields such as education, tourism, gender equality and renewable energy. This group aims to give impetus to relations between the two countries in several political and economic and cultural areas, given Ireland’s strategic position as an important partner in the European Union market, and given the role of Morocco, by its geostrategic position, as a link between Europe and Africa, said the chairman of the Moroccan group Youssef Benjelloun. On the tourism front, he reported the establishment of direct flights between Morocco and Ireland, calling this initiative an important asset for strengthening relations between the two countries, especially since Morocco is among the five most important tourist destinations internationally. Morocco and Ireland are also pioneers in renewable energy, including wind in Ireland and solar and wind in Morocco, which could give rise to partnerships and agreements to develop and support. “This is a fertile ground for the exchange of experiences and expertise,” he said. He added that this first meeting will give rise to further meetings in the context of mutual visits between the two working groups, the goal being to develop and strengthen relations between Rabat and Dublin and transform into concrete projects the ideas and proposals arising from this meeting. For his part, the chairman of the parliamentary friendship group Ireland / Morocco, Senator Paul Daly, highlighted the progress made in strengthening relations between the two countries, stressing the need to work to further strengthen these relations. Daly also welcomed the important progress and achievements made by Morocco in renewable energy, especially in solar energy, noting that the Moroccan experience is to be taken as an example. He also noted the geographical similarities between Ireland and Morocco, two countries located on the border of their respective continents, with a facade on the Atlantic, adding that Morocco’s proximity with Gibraltar gives rise to a very strong trade potential.