Benin National Assembly Reaffirms Support for Morocco’s ECOWAS Bid

Speaker of Benin’s National Assembly Adrien Houngbedji reaffirmed his country’s support for Morocco’s bid to join the Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

“Just as did the (Beninese) government, we (the parliament of Benin) welcome the will expressed by Morocco to join ECOWAS,” Houngbedji told the press following talks in Rabat with Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita.

“Morocco has expressed a will that proves that the Kingdom has every reason to want to join the ECOWAS zone,” said the speaker of the Beninese parliament, noting that Morocco is “an African country and a West African state which develops an investment policy in West Africa”.

“This policy deserves to be better received and better supported,” said Houngbedji.

Last December, ECOWAS 52nd summit, tasked a committee, made up of five heads of state, to further examine an impact study on the admission of the North African Kingdom in the economic bloc.

Morocco’s membership request was accepted “in principle” by ECOWAS heads of state at a summit in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, in June last year.

The admission of Morocco to the ECOWAS sub-region will make it the second largest economy after Nigeria. Thanks to its geographic location and trade agreements with the EU, Turkey, the US and several Arab countries as well as its port and airport hubs, Morocco will offer West African countries a gateway to new markets.