Morocco/UK: Lower House Speaker Explores Ways of Enhancing Parliamentary Cooperation

The Speaker of the House of Representatives (Lower House), Rachid Talbi Alami, on a working visit to London on July 11-13, said that the purpose of his visit is to upgrade relations between the Moroccan and British parliaments to the level of the strategic relations that exist between the two countries. This objective will primarily be achieved through the creation of an annual forum between Morocco-UK parliamentary friendship groups, which will address issues of common interest, Talbi Alami told MAP. The House of Representatives speaker met on Tuesday with the Speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, with whom he discussed bilateral relations, as well as “the important role played by Morocco at regional level, as a nation enjoying political, economic and social stability.” Talbi Alami also had a meeting with members of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) and its Chairman Richard Graham, on the beneficial role that Morocco can play in promoting democracy and political stability in North Africa and the Sahel region. The meeting was an opportunity to commend “the Kingdom’s holistic and humanist approach to address the migration issue,” said the Moroccan MP, who was accompanied by Morocco’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Hakim Hajoui. In addition, fruitful exchanges with the Secretary General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Stephen Twigg, focused on ways to establish new channels of cooperation between Morocco and the intergovernmental organisation, Talbi Alami added. “Enhancing parliamentary relations between Morocco and the United Kingdom and promoting coordination between them will enable the two countries to support each other in international forums.”