Pacific Alliance: MPs commend development dynamics in Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra, support Autonomy Plan
A parliamentary delegation of the Pacific Alliance Monitoring Inter-Parliamentary Commission, welcomed, Friday in Laayoune, the development dynamics that the region of Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra witnesses in various areas.
The members of the delegation noted the development of basic infrastructure in the region and the efforts of the state to give a new impetus to development, as part of the new development model of the southern provinces launched in 2015 by King Mohammed VI.
This visit allowed the delegation, including members of the Colombian Senate, the Peruvian Congress and the National Congress of Chile, to see the progress made in the province of Laayoune, the climate of security, peace and stability prevailing in the region, as well as the role of elected councils in the management of local affairs.
In a statement to the press at the end of meetings with local elected officials, Colombian senator Jose Luis Pérez Oyuela said that this visit is part of the participation of the delegation in the joint meeting of Morocco’s House of Representatives and this inter-parliamentary body.
The delegation, which supports the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco in 2007 to resolve the conflict over the Sahara, is pleased with the level of development in the southern provinces of the Kingdom, noted Perez Oyuela.
For her part, Maria Del Pilar Cordero of the Peruvian Congress, said she was “impressed” by the process of reforms launched by Morocco, welcoming the efforts made by the kingdom to strengthen development in all regions of the country and in the southern provinces in particular.
The member of the National Congress of Chile, Miguel Angel Calisto Aguila, highlighted the efforts of local authorities in improving the living conditions of the population of the southern provinces.
At a joint meeting it held Thursday with members of the Moroccan House of Representatives, the Interparliamentary commission in charge of monitoring the Pacific Alliance expressed its support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara.
The commission called the Moroccan initiative a “serious and credible effort,” in a declaration issued after the joint meeting.
“The extended autonomy plan, proposed by Morocco to resolve the Sahara conflict, meets the expectations of all parties,” the declaration noted, adding that the plan would allow residents of the Sahara region to manage their affairs within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty.
The commission additionally pointed out that the Moroccan proposal has garnered support in the United Nations, where various resolutions recognized the initiative as “serious and credible.” The proposal is likewise gaining growing support as a basis for a political solution to the dispute.
The commission has thus joined the growing list of countries and institutions that have voiced their support for the Moroccan plan, such as the United States, Germany, Spain.
Morocco is an observer member of the Pacific Alliance, which is a regional integration initiative comprising four countries: Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, in addition to more than 60 observer members.
