The President of the House of Councillors, MrEnaam Mayara, received on Wednesday, the7th of February 2024, Mr Vladimir Franco, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Panama, at the House's headquarters in Rabat.
During this reception, the two sides held fruitful discussions, in which they took the opportunity to reaffirm the urgent desire of the two countries to consolidate their relations and inject new impetus into bilateral cooperation in various fields.
In this respect, the President of the House of Councillors expressed satisfaction with the good political relations that exist between the two friendly countries, based on cooperation, solidarity and mutual respect.
On the issue of Morocco's Sahara, the President commended Panama's recent position affirming that the United Nations remains the appropriate mechanism for bringing together all parties concerned in search of a political solution to this contentious conflict, stating its support for the autonomy initiative, as the sole basis for a just and definitive solution. The President considered that this position would pavethe way to promoting economic, trade and cultural relations between the two countries and investing all available possibilities and opportunities.
The President underlined the importance of parliamentary cooperation as a starting point for enhancing bilateral cooperation and building bridges of cooperation and closer relations between the two friendly nations, emphasisingthe strong will of the House of Councillors to promote cooperation ties with the legislative institution of the Republic of Panama and to establish permanent channels of dialogue and coordination that would enable continuous coherence in bilateral and multilateral relations.
From his part, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama noted the great care Morocco attaches to the development of its relationship with Panama, noting that his current visit comes in the context of the new dynamic launched by his country's new position on the Sahara conflict, which will be strengthened in the future. Mr Vladimir Franco stressed the need to give the parliamentary dimension the status it deserves to strengthen this path, by intensifying coordination and consultation within continental parliamentary forums and blocs, or through projects that strengthen cultural and political ties between the two sides.This was the case of the King Mohammed VI Library at the headquarters of the Parliament of Latin American and the Caribbean (Parlatino), which has become a real space for dialogue and coexistence, serving asgateway to the Kingdom to Latin American.
Mr. Vladimir Franco also expressed his country's conviction of the importance of South-South cooperation and its desire to strengthen and diversify its partnerships with the African continent in the light of the new global challenges. He noted in this regard that Panama attaches great importance to the recent royal vision, which considers the Atlantic coast to be Morocco's gateway to Africa and the Americas.