The new President of Paraguay, Santiago Pena, said that Morocco is an ideal gateway to Africa and the Arab world for Paraguay and all the countries of South America.
The Paraguayan head of state’s statement came during an audience granted to Rachid Talbi El Alami, Speaker of the House of Representatives, who represented His Majesty King Mohammed VI at the president’s inauguration ceremony.
On this occasion, Pena added that he and the leaders of the region share the same appreciation of Morocco as a gateway to Africa and the Arab world, expressing his desire to visit Morocco and promote fruitful relations with the Kingdom.
He further underlined the Kingdom’s important role in the development of the South in general and believing that strengthening cooperation with Morocco will advance South-South relations towards greater prosperity and progress.
For his part, Talbi El Alami told MAP that during the audience, he conveyed to the Paraguayan president the greetings of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and His high esteem for Paraguay’s democratic model, which is similar to Morocco’s.
He also noted that both countries have established a democratic tradition embodied in the holding of regular elections in full compliance with legal and constitutional deadlines for the organization of electoral periods.
In this context, Talbi El Alami stressed that Morocco is a reliable partner and a stable country in political, social and economic terms, despite a turbulent environment, recalling that His Majesty the King has made some fifty visits to Africa since 2000, culminating in the signing of 1,500 cooperation agreements.
He also noted that the Kingdom has the largest banking network in Africa, in addition to insurance, telecommunications and aviation companies operating in many countries on the continent.
At the same time, the lower house speaker mentioned a number of strategic projects in which Morocco is involved at the continental level, first of all the gas pipeline project between Nigeria and Morocco, a gigantic project that will have a very positive impact on the 13 countries it will cross.
He recalled that Morocco has built two fertilizer production plants in Ethiopia and Nigeria to contribute to food security in these regions of the continent.
Talbi El Alami concluded that His Majesty the King believes that the future of the world lies in the South, more specifically in Africa, Latin America and the countries of South Asia, and as a new world is emerging, Morocco, together with Paraguay, wishes to play an active role in consolidating the excellent relations between Rabat and Asunción.