Lahcen Haddad, fourth vice-president of the House of Councilors, held talks on Monday, October 5, in Arusha, Tanzania, with Ouch Borith, vice-president of the Cambodian Senate, on ways to strengthen parliamentary cooperation and develop relations between Morocco and Cambodia in several areas. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 153rd General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
Haddad stressed the importance of giving new momentum to relations between Morocco and Cambodia, noting the two countries’ shared desire to strengthen their ties and make use of the advantages offered by Morocco’s position in Africa and on the Atlantic coast and Cambodia’s position in Southeast Asia.
Haddad noted that relations between the two countries have gained momentum, marked by regular diplomatic and parliamentary meetings. He called for building on this momentum by increasing visits between the two legislative institutions and launching joint initiatives in the economic, cultural and educational fields.
He also highlighted the role parliamentary diplomacy could play in supporting economic cooperation, particularly by encouraging economic forums and connecting business leaders and companies from both countries. He stressed the potential for complementarity offered by their respective economic structures.
For his part, Borith said Morocco and Cambodia share common aspirations for peace, stability and development, as well as the preservation of cultural heritage, despite the geographical distance separating the two countries. He stressed the need to continue strengthening friendship and cooperation between Morocco and Cambodia while expanding ties into other areas, particularly the economic and political fields.
Borith also expressed his country’s gratitude for the scholarships granted by Morocco to Cambodian students, stressing the importance of human resource development to his country’s development efforts and reiterating Cambodia’s appreciation for Morocco’s support in this area.
The 153rd General Assembly of the IPU began on Monday in Arusha, Tanzania, with the participation of representatives of parliaments from around the world, including the Moroccan Parliament.
Morocco is represented by a delegation led by House of Councilors President Mohamed Ould Errachid. The delegation also includes Lahcen Haddad, fourth vice-president of the House, Mohamed Salem Benmassoud, questor, Hassan Choumais, a member of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) group, and Hanaa Benkhair of the General Union of Moroccan Workers (UGTM) group.
The delegation also includes Mansour Lambarki, chief of staff to the president of the House of Councilors, Saad Ghazi, director of external relations and communication, and Hassan Azerkane, head of the external relations division.
