Rabat: The progress of the South States depends on their ability to establish peace and harness their potential, Speaker of the House of Representatives Rachid Talbi El Alami said in Rabat on Monday. Speaking at the opening of the 3rd South-South Parliamentary Dialogue Forum, held under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Talbi El Alami stressed the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, ‘a common concern of our countries and our organizations’, as well as a political and moral contract and a civilizational pact to which all are called to adhere.
According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, Talbi El Alami highlighted the abundant potential available to the geopolitical communities and countries represented at the Forum. In a speech read on his behalf by the First Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mohamed Sabbari, he noted that these resources offer opportunities for exchanges and heavy trade flows, particularly given the decisive role of security and geostrategic factors in international trade.
He further emphasized the potential of coastal infrastructure development to boost economies by facilitating tourism and service activities. This development could attract millions of tourists and create millions of jobs, he noted.
Talbi El Alami also stressed the importance of placing the human factor at the center of South States’ growth. He explained that human resources, particularly the youth, are a precious asset for achieving growth, increasing production, and promoting progress. To capitalize on this, creativity in education, training, and teaching is necessary to provide young people with hope and opportunities for the future.
He identified the potential and natural resources available in South countries, including strategic minerals and farmland, as critical levers for transformation. He cited Africa’s possession of 60% of the world’s farmland and noted that transforming these resources into wealth requires political will, cooperation, and technology transfer from North to South, alongside win-win partnerships and collaboration among Southern countries.
Regarding Morocco, Talbi El Alami highlighted the initiatives launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI since his accession to the Throne. These initiatives, part of a national diplomacy focused on African renaissance and relations with both Southern and Northern countries, include the African Atlantic States process, the Sahel countries’ access to the Atlantic Ocean, the African Agricultural Adaptation program, and the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project.
Talbi El Alami concluded by emphasizing the role of national parliaments and multilateral parliamentary organizations in advocating for common interests and justice in international relations, including food and climate justice and access to technologies. The forum, held by the House of Councillors in partnership with the Association of Senates, Shoora and Equivalent Councils in Africa and the Arab World (ASSECAA), aims to strengthen joint parliamentary work and strategic partnerships under the theme ‘Interregional and intercontinental dialogues in the South’.