Arab World: EPP Group meets Moroccan MPs for first ever multi-ideological and multi-partisan dialogue

EPP Group committed to an open dialogue: four-day exchange programme in Brussels

The EPP Group has invited seventeen Moroccan MPs to the European Parliament hailing from six different Moroccan political parties and two Moroccan Non-Governmental Organisations. It will be the first time that a European political group holds an open political dialogue with various political forces in Morocco, irrespective of their ideology and ideas.

With so much going on in the Arab world, the EPP Group wants to enter into an open dialogue with different political parties hailing from a wide spectrum of political beliefs in North Africa and the wider region. The EPP Group also wants to engage with small parties which are not represented in their National Parliament.

"We want to continue a serious political dialogue with the neighbouring countries. This is the novelty and the originality of the initiative because it has never happened before. The success of previous meetings shows that we are on track. Social, political and economic developments in neighbouring countries are interesting topics to us which we intend to analyse and discuss with the people directly involved", said Vito Bonsignore MEP, Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group.

On Tuesday at 15.00 hrs, the Moroccan Members of Parliament and the EPP Group MEPs will discuss Syria, Egypt and the revolutions in the Arab world. Journalists are invited to attend this session at the European Parliament in room ASP 5H1.

In the subsequent session, starting at 17.00 hrs, they will discuss the social, economic and cultural challenges facing Morocco today. They will delve into possibilities of EU cooperation with Morocco on renewal energy. Migration, poverty, education and the participation of women in society are also on the agenda.

Wednesday afternoon will be almost entirely dedicated to the political and economic reforms currently underway in Morocco. Flavia Palanza, Director of the Facility for the Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP), will give a keynote speech.

Fathallah Sijilmassi, Secretary-General for the Union for the Mediterranean, Hugues Mingarelli, Managing Director, Middle East and Southern Neighbourhood, European External Action Service, are also among the key speakers.

In September last year, the EPP Group invited Tunisian Members of Parliament and members of Tunisian civil society to the European Parliament.