Parliament deputy speaker Mohamed Abou El-Enein, the Honorary President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) participated in the meetings of a high-level delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) over two days with a number of Moroccan ministers and officials.
The meetings were attended by Dr. Rachid Talbi Alami, Speaker of the Moroccan House of Representatives , Mr. Naam Mayara, Speaker of the House of Councilors, Mr. Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Eng. Riad Mazour, Minister of Industry and Trade of Morocco, Dr. Aawatif HAYAR, Minister of Solidarity, Social Integration and Family, Ms. Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Dr. Ahmad Abadi, Secretary General of the Muhammadiyah Association of Scholars, and Mr. Chakib Laalaj, President of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises.
The meetings were chaired by the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean Mr. Gennaro Migliore, to discuss areas of cooperation with the Moroccan Parliament on the most pressing challenges in the Mediterranean basin and the Arab Gulf states, in addition to addressing a number of important files, including the aggression on Al-Quds Al-Sharif, the Ukrainian crisis and its impact on food and energy security in the world.
The two sides also discussed ways of cooperation between the countries of the Mediterranean and the Arab Gulf to confront the current economic crisis and its impact on the peoples of the Mediterranean. The two sides reviewed the preparations for the Mediterranean Economic Forum (Davos Mediterranean), which will hold its first session in Morocco next December. It will focus on new economic prospects and options for a Mediterranean economic zone, as well as preparations for the 17th plenary session of the Mediterranean Parliament scheduled to be held on March1 and 2, 2023 and hosted by the House of Councilors in Rabat.
During the meetings, Abou El-Enein stressed the importance of the diplomatic role of the countries of the Mediterranean region to confront the severe crises the world is going through, noting that the economic crisis that our world is experiencing is the most serious and severe since World War II, describing it as an “economic tsunami” that threatens the future of many countries.
He also pointed out that the difficult conditions that our planet is going through raise the alarm, and require cooperation today, not tomorrow, to find exceptional solutions to overcome these severe crises.
Abou El-Enein warned against turning economic crises into political ones that could lead to chaos, pointing out that the world’s economies are bleeding, while the world will face serious economic difficulties.
During his talks with Moroccan officials, the Parliament deputy speaker praised the Egyptian experience in developing and building the new republic, and the Egyptian move during the last period to confront the global economic crisis.
Abou El-Enein praised the package of economic and social decisions made by President Abdel Fattah El- Sisi to confront the global economic crisis.
“Those decisions represented a road map to deal with the new phase with all its challenges, to support investment and launch the national initiative for industrial development and mitigation on industrialists and support the private sector, as well as supporting wheat growers to reduce the import bill.
Abou El-Enein set an economic plan for cooperation between the Mediterranean countries to confront the current crises, as he called for the formation of economic emergency authority in the Mediterranean countries and the Gulf region to manage the crisis under the auspices of the Mediterranean Parliament and the parliaments of the Mediterranean countries, to develop a road map and strategy for containing the impact of the crisis on the Mediterranean and Gulf countries and urgently support the member states.
He also called for making a diplomatic effort to work on setting new economic policies in our time that guarantee the rights of emerging and small countries to face hegemony.
He suggested making efforts at the World Bank (WB) to postpone the payment of debts to the troubled countries, and cancel the interests of those debts until the end of the economic crisis.
The Honorary President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) stressed the need for serious diplomatic efforts through neutral mediation to intervene to end the Ukrainian war and reach peaceful solutions to the crisis before more victims pay the price of that catastrophic war on our world.
Abou El-Enein warned of the danger of Israeli settlement expansion and the deterioration of the situation in occupied Jerusalem and Gaza, especially amid the recent incidents.
He condemned the Israeli encroachments on the holy places in the honorable Jerusalem.
He called for establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital.
The meeting also touched upon views on the Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf Economic Forum that will be held in Morocco next December.
Abou El-Enein suggested that the forum will include 10 sessions that revolve around;
1) Localization of global supply chains in the Mediterranean region and setting a map of the supply chains that can be resettled in the countries of the southern Mediterranean.
2) Economic integration in the Mediterranean.
3) Energy Integration in the Mediterranean Basin.
4) Developing the infrastructure in the Mediterranean region, especially transportation.
5) Food and water security in the Mediterranean region.
6) Climate change in the Mediterranean region.
7) Reviving the peace process and defending Jerusalem.
8) Fighting terrorism, extremism, and racism.
9)The impact of the developments of the international system on the Mediterranean region.
10) African Mediterranean Cooperation.
On his part, Mr. Gennaro Migliore stressed the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in facing challenges and strengthening cooperation among the countries of the Mediterranean region in vital areas such as security, renewable energies, water, and climate change.
Mr. Gennaro Migliore also praises the relations between the the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) and the Moroccan Parliament.
He also hailed the political stability, economic openness, and religious tolerance that characterize Morocco, highlighting the the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM)’s intention to hold some conferences in Morocco, especially in the axes related to the advancement of the conditions of the Mediterranean people.
Moreover, he affirmed that the forum will be an opportunity to deepen cooperation and intensify efforts to confront common challenges, especially these related to peace, security, and stability in the region.
In the same vein, a major international conference on interfaith dialogue will be held in Naples, Italy next June, aiming to deepen cooperation and interdependence between North and South and solve common issues such as terrorism and organized crime.
