Rabat: Deputy Speaker of the House of Councillors, Lahcen Haddad, met on Thursday with a delegation of young French elected officials in Rabat. The delegation, which included members of parliament, local elected representatives, and representatives of youth organizations, was accompanied by the Consul General of the Kingdom of Morocco in Colombes and other officials.
According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, the meeting aimed to fortify the cooperation and friendship between Morocco and France. Haddad emphasized the renewed momentum in the partnership, characterized by trust, mutual respect, and shared ambition. The collaboration covers diverse fields such as economy, education, scientific research, energy transition, culture, security, decentralized cooperation, and parliamentary relations.
Haddad underscored the pivotal role of parliamentary diplomacy in reinforcing ties between the Moroccan and French peoples and promoting dialogue on issues of mutual interest. He highlighted the House of Councillors’ com
mitment to exchanging expertise in areas like territorial governance, sustainable development, citizen participation, and advanced regionalization.
He pointed out that common challenges necessitate stronger cooperation and the sharing of best practices among institutions and local stakeholders in both countries. Haddad commended youth associations, particularly the Federation of Moroccan Youth Associations in France, for fostering ties between Moroccan and French youth and promoting dialogue and cooperation.
Haddad also discussed major reform projects initiated by Morocco under King Mohammed VI’s leadership, including institutional modernization, advanced regionalization, investment promotion, infrastructure development, energy transition, social protection generalization, and public administration reform. He expressed a willingness to share Morocco’s experiences with the French delegation while gaining insights from French expertise.
The French delegation expressed satisfaction with their visit to Morocco
and reaffirmed the enduring ties between the two nations. They emphasized the importance of enhancing friendship and partnership through increased exchanges of expertise and experience. They committed to cooperating with Morocco’s new generation of elected officials and enhancing dialogue on local governance, climate change adaptation, and resilience.
The meeting underscored the need for continued parliamentary and institutional dialogue and strengthened exchanges between young elected officials from both countries to further consolidate Moroccan-French relations and expand prospects for bilateral cooperation, according to the same source.