The creation of the friendship group with Morocco in Colombia’s Senate is a “very clear message” to the Colombian government to stress the importance of preserving close relations with Morocco based on “friendship, commitment, support and above all respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity” of the Kingdom, said the chairman of the friendship group, Senator German Blanco.
In a reaction to the Moroccan news radio RIM Radio, German Blanco added that this friendship group, composed of ten members from the main political forces of the Senate belonging to both the majority and the opposition, reflects the interest of the Senate to establish “healthy” relations with Morocco.
“We are all interested in healthy, transparent and equitable relations with a friendly state like the Kingdom of Morocco. The diversity of political tendencies that have supported this initiative clearly shows the importance for us, as a Congress, of these diplomatic and parliamentary relations with Morocco, which are a matter of consensus,” said German Blanco, who was Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies.
The president of the friendship group with Morocco, who belongs to the Colombian conservative party (member of the ruling coalition), highlighted the fact that of the ten members of the group, seven belong to parties that form the ruling coalition. It should be noted that the Senate Speaker and two vice-Speakers are members of the friendship group.
He also said that “governments change, but relations between states must be preserved over time, hence our responsibility, as congressmen, to work in this direction and demonstrate that Morocco has enough support within the Colombian political class, regardless of the parties they are in government or in opposition.”
German Blanco recalled in this sense the motion adopted by a majority of 63 senators out of 108 in the Senate and in which the majority signatories expressed “their disagreement with the establishment of relations with a separatist group that affect the ties between Colombia and Morocco.”
Source: Agency Morocaine De Presse