Morocco Expands Parliamentary Diplomacy Through Talks With Maldives, Lesotho And Djibouti

Wednesday 07 - 17:00

Morocco is using the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Arusha, Tanzania, to deepen parliamentary ties with countries across Africa and the Indian Ocean, as President of the House of Councillors Mohamed Ould Errachid held separate talks with senior legislative officials from the Maldives, Lesotho and Djibouti.

The meetings, held on the sidelines of the IPU gathering, focused on turning political goodwill into more structured parliamentary cooperation, with discussions ranging from institutional exchanges and capacity building to economic and development partnerships.

Morocco And Maldives Seek Broader Parliamentary And Sectoral Cooperation

During his meeting with Abdul Raheem Abdulla, President of the People's Majlis of the Maldives, Ould Errachid highlighted Morocco's commitment to strengthening South-South cooperation and building partnerships based on solidarity, expertise-sharing and shared development objectives.

The Moroccan side identified several areas where cooperation with the Maldives could be expanded, including the blue economy, sustainable tourism, renewable energy and responses to climate change. Health, agriculture and the training of imams and religious preachers were also identified as potential fields for closer collaboration.

Abdulla, for his part, expressed his institution's interest in strengthening ties with the Moroccan Parliament through reciprocal visits, the exchange of legislative experience and closer institutional contacts.

A significant step came with the signing of a joint parliamentary declaration. The document is intended to provide a long-term institutional framework for dialogue and consultation, exchanges of expertise, parliamentary visits, capacity building and cooperation between relevant legislative bodies.

The Maldivian side also announced plans to establish a Maldives-Morocco parliamentary friendship group, adding an institutional dimension to the relationship between the two countries.

Lesotho Looks To Revive Existing Cooperation Framework

Ould Errachid's discussions with Mamonaheng Mokitimi, President of the Senate of Lesotho, centered on giving fresh momentum to bilateral parliamentary relations.

The Moroccan official pointed to the potential of the relationship between the two countries and recalled the cooperation memorandum agreed in 2019. He stressed that the agreement could serve as a foundation for concrete programmes, closer coordination between friendship and cooperation groups, and greater exchanges of visits and expertise.

Mokitimi welcomed the prospect of activating the memorandum and establishing practical mechanisms for its implementation, signaling an interest in moving the existing framework toward more tangible parliamentary cooperation.

The exchange reflects Morocco's broader effort to use parliamentary diplomacy as a channel for consolidating relations with African partners beyond traditional diplomatic mechanisms.

Rabat And Djibouti Emphasize Coordination In International Forums

The meeting with Dileita Mohamed Dileita, President of Djibouti's National Assembly, placed particular emphasis on the longstanding relationship between Morocco and Djibouti and on strengthening coordination within multilateral parliamentary institutions.

Ould Errachid described the memorandum of understanding between the two legislative institutions as an important platform for dialogue, consultation and the development of joint programmes. He also called for increased interaction between parliamentary friendship groups and more frequent exchanges of visits.

The Moroccan official encouraged Djibouti's continued participation in initiatives organized by the House of Councillors, including the Marrakech Parliamentary Economic Forum and parliamentary diplomacy platforms.

He also stressed the importance of sustained coordination within international parliamentary organizations, particularly the IPU and the African Parliamentary Union.

Dileita praised the close relations between Djibouti and Morocco and welcomed the initiatives and conferences hosted by Morocco for African countries. He also expressed his country's readiness to broaden bilateral cooperation across different sectors.

IPU Assembly Highlights Role Of Parliamentary Diplomacy

The meetings took place as the 153rd IPU Assembly continued in Arusha under the theme of strengthening good governance and empowering communities through inclusion, trust and opportunities for all. The gathering brings together representatives from parliaments around the world and provides a platform for bilateral discussions alongside the main multilateral agenda.

For Morocco, the talks underline the growing role assigned to parliamentary diplomacy in developing South-South partnerships. By combining friendship groups, institutional agreements, legislative exchanges and participation in international parliamentary forums, Rabat is seeking to give its parliamentary relations a more structured and operational character.

The Moroccan delegation attending the IPU Assembly includes Lahcen Haddad, fourth vice-president of the House of Councillors; Mohamed Salem Benmassoud, quaestor; Hassan Choumais of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) group; Hanaa Benkhair of the General Union of Moroccan Workers (UGTM) group; Mansour Lambarki, chief of staff to the President of the House of Councillors; Saad Ghazi, director of external relations and communication; and Hassan Azerkane, head of the external relations division.