The Speaker of the House of Councilors, Enaam Mayara, held talks, on January 23 in Rabat, with Brazil’s Ambassador to Morocco, Alexandre Guido Lopes Parola.
According to a press release, Mayara praised, during this meeting, the strong relations uniting Morocco and Brazil which date back to the 19th century, noting that Morocco was the first African country to recognize the independence of Brazil in 1822.
In this regard, Mayara recalled the historic visit made by His Majesty King Mohammed VI in 2004 to Brazil, as well as the promising prospects that this visit opened for the expansion of bilateral cooperation.
The Upper House Speaker emphasized the importance of strengthening parliamentary cooperation through the activation of the Brazil-Morocco friendship group and the implementation of sealed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).
Mayara also pleaded in favor of accelerating negotiations on free trade agreements between Morocco and Mercosur (Southern Common Market), stressing the importance of the Royal Initiative aimed at promoting access of Sahel countries to the Atlantic.
For his part, the Brazilian ambassador commended the excellent bilateral relations which have enjoyed momentum over the years thanks to conventions concluded in different areas, expressing his country’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with the Kingdom.
In a similar context, Parola affirmed the great importance that his country attaches to the Royal Initiative aimed at promoting access of the Sahel countries to the Atlantic Ocean, which “consecrates Morocco’s place as a gateway to Africa and platform for access to African markets”, expressing his support for the proposal of the Moroccan official on the creation of a Parliamentary Economic Forum.
This meeting was also an opportunity to highlight the place of the parliamentary institution on the two countries’ institutional scene as well as its important role in strengthening bilateral relations and the development of parliamentary diplomacy at the regional and continental levels.