Rabat - A delegation of Morocco’s major political parties, including: the Party of Justice and Development (PJD), which heads the coalition government, the National Rally of Independent (RNI) Party of Authenticity and Modernity (PAM) and the Constitutional Union (UC) flew to Sweden last Sunday.
Rabat – A delegation of Morocco’s major political parties, including: the Party of Justice and Development (PJD), which heads the coalition government, the National Rally of Independent (RNI) Party of Authenticity and Modernity (PAM) and the Constitutional Union (UC) flew to Sweden last Sunday.
Following the visit of Nabila Mounib’s United Social Party (PSU), a new Moroccan delegation visits Sweden, with the participation of five political parties: PJD, PAM, RNI l’Istiqlal and UC.
In this delegation, the parties are represented by the following officials: the PJD by former Foreign Affairs Minister Saadeddine El Othmani, the PAM by Fatiha Layadi, the RNI by Chafik Rachid, and the UC by its General Secretary Mohamed Sajid.
The delegation’s agenda will include meetings with the president of the Swedish Parliament, the president of the Foreign Affairs Commission, and the general director of political affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Moroccan delegation will also meet with the Swedish Business Confederation, the Swedish Civil Society and officials of the Amnesty International’s Swedish section.
Visits with the Swedish Fellowship of Reconciliation and the Institute for Security and Development Policy, are part of the agenda.
Moroccan political parties will hold talks with their Swedish counterparts to clarify Morocco’s Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara.
This working visit comes as part of the recent diplomatic tensions between Morocco and Sweden after a draft law was submitted by the Swedish Social Democratic Party in the Parliament on the reorganization of the so-called Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic.
The move stirred outrage in Morocco and pushed the Moroccan government to send a clear message to the Swedish government that it would not tolerate any interference in the UN political process.
Rabat also said that it was considering boycotting Swedish companies and products.
Following this reaction, Stockholm said that the recognition of the SADR was not on the table.
In an interview with Sweden’s Expressen last week, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfve, said that his government does not intend to recognize the SADR.
“We have not made such a decision and have not expressed anything that is even close to it,” he was quoted as saying.