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Doha – The Speaker of Morocco’s House of Representatives, Rachid Talbi Alami, and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola agreed Tuesday on a roadmap to revive relations between the two legislative institutions, following recent tensions.
During talks held in Brussels at Metsola’s invitation, both leaders discussed establishing a new methodology to restore cooperation between the Moroccan and European parliaments to “its natural state,” Talbi Alami told the Maghreb Arab Press (MAP) news agency.
“We examined several topics and agreed on a roadmap and working methodology to restart cooperation between the Moroccan and European parliaments and overcome all the dysfunctions that have affected these relations,” Talbi Alami said following the meeting.
The Moroccan parliamentary leader said that Metsola expressed “certain willingness” to reset relations following the recent European elections and reorganization of the European Parliament. However, he added that “Moroccan conditions” must be respected to ensure improved relations between the two legislative bodies “within a framework of mutual respect.”
According to Talbi Alami, Metsola talked about Morocco’s significant position in the European neighborhood, citing the country’s political, economic and social stability, its achievements across various sectors, and its foreign policy under King Mohammed VI’s leadership.
The meeting comes amid a complex history of parliamentary cooperation between Morocco and the European Union. Relations date back to 1960 when the first trade agreement was signed with the European Communities, followed by a cooperation agreement in 1976.
Morocco’s participation in the 1995 Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and its achievement of “advanced status” with the EU in 2008 marked significant milestones in bilateral relations.
The EU-Morocco parliamentary cooperation has been institutionalized through a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), which holds regular meetings to discuss matters of mutual interest.
The committee’s eleventh session in May 2022 addressed various topics including environmental protection, migration, and economic cooperation.
However, tensions emerged in January 2023 when the European Parliament adopted a resolution criticizing Morocco’s human rights and press freedom situation.
The Moroccan Parliament responded by holding a joint plenary session on January 23, 2023, where it decided to reassess its relationship with the European legislative body.
Last October, EU Parliament members Nicolas Bay and Thierry Mariani, among others, reaffirmed their support for Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara and condemned the decision by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to annul the agreements between the EU and Morocco.
In a strong statement, they pointed out that Rabat remains the legitimate partner of the EU, not the Polisario Front.
Read also: Algeria, Polisario Allies in EU Parliament Question France’s Position on Western Sahara
