Brazilian senator Hiran Manuel Gonçalves da Silva (Progressive Party, the State of Roraima) stressed, Wednesday in Brasilia, the “leading role” of His Majesty King Mohammed VI in promoting openness, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence.
Gonçalves da Silva stated, during the establishment of the Moroccan-Brazilian Friendship Group in the Brazilian Senate, which he chairs, that “in terms of international politics, Morocco enjoys a leading position beyond the role the Kingdom already plays in the North African region,” stressing that “His Majesty King Mohammed VI has long played a leading role in promoting the values of openness, tolerance and peaceful coexistence between religions and cultures.”
The Brazilian senator highlighted, in particular, the Jerusalem Appeal (al-Quds Appeal), which was launched during Pope Francis’ visit to Rabat in 2019, in which the Pontiff and His Majesty the King defended the preservation of the Holy City as a symbol of coexistence and common heritage of Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
The Senator added that Morocco “is committed to dealing with several international issues, including countering terrorism and organized crime, climate change, human rights, and food security, which are issues that represent, for Brazil, broad opportunities for consultation and coordination in international forums.”
Gonçalves Da Silva also shed light on Morocco’s efforts to resolve the regional conflict over the Moroccan Sahara, noting that “Brazil’s support as a non-permanent member of the Security Council (SC), to the Moroccan proposal, which already enjoys the support of a large number of countries, is another area worth expanding, within the framework of international politics.”
Economically, Hiran Gonçalves said that relations between Morocco and Brazil are undergoing a favorable period, noting that “bilateral trade has doubled compared to 2017 and we share mutual interests that, if properly promoted, can further expand the significant potential of the last five years.”
“For Brazil, strengthening economic cooperation with Morocco means recognizing the Kingdom’s growing importance as a trading partner, not only in terms of mutual investment and trade but also given Morocco’s strategic position as a major logistical hub and a gateway to both Africa and the Arab world,” emphasized the Brazilian senator.
For his part, Morocco’s ambassador to Brazil, Nabil Adghoghi, outlined cooperation opportunities between Morocco and Brazil, stressing the importance of the Parliamentary Friendship Group in facilitating the strengthening of the Moroccan-Brazilian partnership that is currently developing, especially in terms of food security.
Adghoghi noted that Morocco and Brazil have a legal framework for a well-rounded cooperation, in addition to other agreements undergoing ratification, which can promote further trade, technical cooperation, and an atmosphere favorable to establishing business relations between the two countries.
The Moroccan diplomat stressed in this context Morocco’s strengths within the framework of economic cooperation with Brazil, such as the Kingdom’s openness to international markets, its quality port logistics, its distinguished geopolitical position in Africa and the Middle East, and its economy’s complementarity with Brazil’s economy.
The Morocco-Brazil Parliamentary Friendship Group was established during a meeting held at the headquarters of the Brazilian Senate a few months following the general elections in October, and it includes senators from different parties.
