The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rachid Talbi Alami, affirmed, on August 7 in Jakarta, that Morocco shares with all the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) the fight for development and progress.
Intervening at the 44th Session of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, hosted by the Indonesian House of Representatives (August 5-10) under the theme “The Parliament is proactive in adapting for a stable and prosperous ASEAN,” Talbi Alami stressed that “fraternity and friendship unite Morocco with all ASEAN countries, with whom the Kingdom shared the fight against colonialism, and shares, today, the fight for development and progress.”
Talbi Alami underlined that the Kingdom, which maintains historic relations with East-Asian countries, shares the same concerns with these countries in the fight against climate change and environmental degradation, particularly ocean pollution, to deploy green economy projects at the national level and produce energy from renewable sources, noting that such projects are of strategic importance to Morocco and offer broad prospects for balanced partnerships.
The Moroccan official also praised the opening up of new cooperation prospects with the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which include strategic projects that contribute to food production, stressing that the Kingdom “is undertaking major projects and contributing to the development of African agriculture, thanks to its expertise in the field and the great resources it has at its disposal in terms of phosphates and fertilizers, as well as in the green economy sector and related technologies.”
The Moroccan parliamentarian explained that the free trade agreements linking Morocco to major countries and economic blocs, including the US, the Kingdom’s long-standing ally and friend, “offer great opportunities for access to markets of approximately one billion consumers,” highlighting “the potential offered by around 1.500 agreements between Morocco and brotherly African countries, 1.000 of which have been signed since His Majesty King Mohammed VI acceded to the Throne in 1999.”
“In addition to its strategic positioning close to Europe and its African and Mediterranean roots, Morocco enjoys a modern infrastructure, notably ports on the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, assets that qualify it to be a hub of trade with the rest of the African countries with which it shares numerous partnerships, as well as with European countries, as it enjoys an advanced status in its relations with the European Union (EU),” detailed Talbi Alami.
The Moroccan parliamentarian noted that “all these achievements are consolidated by Morocco’s stability and security, as well as the Kingdom’s economic freedom and laws that provide a framework for investment and offer significant guarantees to foreign investors,” shedding light on Morocco’s central role as a promoter of peace and coexistence between religions, civilizations, and cultures, with the Monarchy as a strategic and spiritual guarantor.
Talbi El Alami also stressed that the 44th Session of ASEAN’s Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) is being held in a highly complex international context, open to all possibilities, with the risk of further tensions and crises unless the members of the international commission review existing policies and adopt effective and efficient measures to address the underlying causes of issues, praising the emphasis that this session placed on the role of parliaments in building peace, stability, and prosperity.
The Moroccan official stated that the international community faces the greatest challenges it has been facing since WWII, as the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy and the dangerous consequences of climate change on human conditions are aggravated by the after-effects of wars and conflicts, the scarcity of food and supply sources, and the intense international competition for these sources.
In a similar context, Talbi Alami noted that international relations are currently based on division and the multiplicity of alliances and axes, which in turn creates security challenges and a surge in terrorist movements and separatist tendencies, as well as all the risks that affect the territorial integrity of states and their stability, and global security.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives underlined the growing gap in development, income, and living standards between the components of the international community, particularly between North and South, and within the same society, due to the factors mentioned and other underlying factors, which increases migratory movements and worsens feelings of despair and frustration, particularly among youth.
Talbi El Alami emphasized that the political, moral, and historical responsibility of countries and their elites, as well as the severity of international situations, forbid yielding to these dangers, highlighting the role that ASEAN’s Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) can play in opposing these threats, restoring calm and balance to international relations, maintaining international peace and security, and ensuring respect for the territorial integrity of States, their sovereignty, and non-interference in the affairs of other countries, as one of the foundations of international law.
On the sidelines of his participation in this edition of ASEAN’s Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), Talbi Alami held talks with the Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, and the Vice-Chairman of the House, Rachmat Gobel, in the presence of Morocco’s Ambassador to Indonesia and Singapore, Ouadie Benabdellah.
Morocco’s House of Representatives enjoys within AIPA an “Observer Member” status, as the membership validation was announced at the Assembly’s 41st Session, held in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi in September 2020. This is an unprecedented feat given that the Moroccan House of Representatives is the only parliament in Africa and the Arab world to be granted membership in this Asian inter-parliamentary body.
This achievement was brought about thanks to Morocco’s key role as a driving force for communication and cooperation between African and Southeast Asian states, aimed at strengthening security and stability and promoting economic and social development and prosperity under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
The Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (AIPA) is an important parliamentary grouping comprising ten countries, namely Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, Brunei, Laos, and Cambodia.
AIPA aims to unify and intensify its members’ efforts to accelerate economic development and achieve social progress and cultural development among member countries.