Rabat: The Speaker of the House of Councillors, Mohamed Ould Errachid, held talks on Tuesday in Rabat with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Panama, Javier Eduardo Martnez-Acha V¡squez, who is on a working visit to Morocco. During this meeting, both parties welcomed the excellence of bilateral relations, in line with the dynamic progress witnessed in the Kingdom under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, Ould Errachid highlighted the significant economic and investment potential of both countries, especially in strategic sectors, noting that these assets will help elevate economic relations to the level of their already distinguished political ties. He emphasized that the geostrategic positioning of both countries opens promising prospects for multidimensional economic partnerships.
The Speaker also noted that Morocco places its relations with Panama within the framework of its proactive policy aimed at promoting South-South cooperation and strengthening ties between peoples in various fields, in accordance with the High Directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. On this occasion, he praised Panama’s position recognizing the Moroccan autonomy initiative as “the most serious, credible and realistic basis” for resolving the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara.
He stressed that this forward-looking stance reflects the growing international support for Morocco’s autonomy initiative in the southern provinces under Moroccan sovereignty, as the only serious and realistic solution to the artificial dispute over the Moroccan Sahara. He also pointed out that Morocco’s southern provinces have become a hub of development and a destination attracting investment and major projects, making them a strategic point linking Morocco to its African depth and serving as a springboard toward Europe, Central and Latin America.
For his part, the Panamanian Minister of Foreign Affairs reiterated his country’s support for the autonomy initiative presented by Morocco in 2007 as a way to achieve a final resolution to the regional dispute. Javier Eduardo Martnez-Acha V¡squez highlighted the strength of bilateral relations based on trust and mutual respect, noting that his current visit to Morocco allowed him to witness firsthand the country’s level of development.
He also expressed Panama’s interest in benefiting from Morocco’s expertise, particularly in the areas of renewable energy, fertilizers, and water policy, and in exploring new projects and investments to establish an advanced partnership between the two countries. During the meeting, both sides emphasized the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in strengthening relations between the two countries. They highlighted the unique and diverse composition of the House of Councillors as a key asset in deepening these ties, especially in the economic sphere.
In this regard, the Panamanian minister emphasized the prominent role of the Moroccan Parliament within the regional parliamentary unions of Latin America and the Caribbean. He recalled that the House of Councillors holds observer and advanced partner status with the Central American Parliament (Parlacen), the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino), the Andean Parliament, and the Forum of the Chairpersons of the Legislative Assemblies of Central America, Caribbean and Mexico (FOPREL). This status, he noted, enabled it to sign the declaration establishing the Morocco-Latin America-Caribbean Parliamentary Economic Forum, alongside all regional parliamentary unions and groups, on December 5, 2024, in Panama.