Azerbaijan: Morocco calls for closer cooperation between Non-aligned Countries

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rachid Talbi Alami, pleaded Thursday in Baku for the consolidation of cooperation and multilateral partnership between member countries of the parliamentary network of the Non-Aligned Movement while insisting that NAM countries establish solidarity and non-interference in the internal affairs of member countries as a doctrine in their ties.

Alami was at the opening of the inaugural Congress of the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement, held from June 29 to July 02 in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, under the motto “Boosting the role of national parliaments in promoting global peace and sustainable development”.

He stressed the need to promote the role of parliaments in the defense of peace, democratization of international relations, the fair and equitable distribution of wealth, the independence of non-aligned countries in terms of decision-making and their right to acquire new technologies.

Alami who is leading a delegation of MPs also pleaded for a better exploitation of wealth, the establishment of a climate justice, and the promotion of balanced trade.

He stressed further that respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member countries of this movement should be at the heart of priorities as for all other countries of the international community, drawing attention to the fact that “one of the major challenges posed before this geopolitical grouping is the dislocation of political regimes and separatism that represent a breeding ground for terrorism and fanaticism.”

The speaker of the House of Representatives also noted that “Many regions in the world are now in the grip of crises, sometimes fueled by countries that claim to defend noble values,” he deplored, adding that “there can be no development, progress or institutions without peace and security and also without secure borders, which are necessary for the development of trade and the safe movement of people.”

“The future is ours if we remain united by the bonds of cooperation, solidarity, peace and mutual respect and if we also succeed in preventing and resolving crises,” said Talbi Alami.

He stressed, in this context, that Morocco, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, remains committed to the defense of this doctrine while working to “build promising partnerships and share its experiences and best practices with friendly countries, especially since events in the world strengthen more than ever the role of this international movement for peace, democracy and coexistence”.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev underlined in an opening address that although his country is a relatively new member of NAM, it joined in 2011, it tried, from the very first days of its membership to contribute to solidarity, mutual support and promotion of the Bandung Principles.

“We fully share the Bandung Principles and we consider these principles as the only basis for cooperation and interaction between countries – territorial integrity, sovereignty, independence, non-interference into each other’s affairs. If these principles were preserved by all countries, there would have been no wars, no conflicts and no injustice,” the President said.

The constitutive meeting of the NAM Parliamentary Network was held in Madrid in November 2021, on the sidelines of the 143rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

This body aims to enshrine the principles of the Non-Aligned Movement, created at the Bandung Conference in 1955. Morocco was one of the founders of NAM.

The network seeks to be a framework for cooperation and coordination between parliaments of NAM member states, for the promotion of parliamentary diplomacy and inter-parliamentary coordination, particularly in matters of climate change, democracy, human rights, peace, security and sustainable development.