Morocco’s Upper House, CEMAC Parliament Ink MoU in Rabat

Morocco’s Upper House and the Parliament of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) signed, on Monday in Rabat, a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation between the two parties. Signed by the Upper House Speaker, Mohamed Ould Errachid, and the President of the CEMAC Parliament, Evariste Ngamana, who is visiting Morocco at the head of a high-ranking delegation, this agreement is part of the ongoing relations between Morocco and the CEMAC countries, which are based on historical, cultural, and civilizational ties and on shared values of development, cooperation, solidarity, and mutual respect. It reflects the interest of both parties in promoting and developing economic relations between the CEMAC countries and Morocco, as well as strengthening opportunities for joint cooperation between the two parties. Under this agreement, the two parties affirm the role of parliamentary diplomacy in strengthening cooperation and unifying positions on bilateral and regional issues, as well as exploring ways to develop economic, commercial, and human relations and to harness the promising potential of cooperation between the CEMAC countries and Morocco. They also emphasize the growing challenges associated with international geopolitical changes and their implications for achieving the desired economic and human development. In this regard, the Upper House and the CEMAC Parliament praised Morocco’s significant role, under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in strengthening the foundations of stability, security, and development in Africa through the launch of strategic development initiatives, notably the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project, the Atlantic Initiative, and the initiative to enable access for Sahel countries to the Atlantic Ocean. They highlighted the importance of South-South cooperation as a key factor in addressing challenges and issues at both the international and regional levels, and as a mechanism for initiating structural transformation of the economies of Southern countries and laying the foundations for strong and sustainable growth.  CEMAC’s efforts in promoting integration within the CEMAC zone were also emphasized, as well as the important role it plays in achieving the goals of regional integration on the African continent and in establishing genuine African unity. Furthermore, the two parties stressed the need to seize all available opportunities to consolidate and deepen institutional parliamentary cooperation between the CEMAC Parliament and the Upper House, and to promote economic and trade relations and support investments between the CEMAC countries and Morocco. They further underscored the importance of exchange of experiences and the implementation of training programs aimed at developing the capacities of parliamentarians and administrative staff from both sides in the various areas of work of the two institutions.