On day one of the Seminar, the participants in the gathering were welcomed by introductory remarks of the following: Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Morocco Mr Rachid Talbi El-Alami; Speaker of the House of Deputies of the Parliament of Morocco Mr Hakim Benchemas; Chairperson of the Mediterranean and Middle East Special Group Mr Gilbert Le Bris, and Ambassador of Switzerland to the Kingdom of Morocco Mr Massimo Baggi. This was followed by the introductory address by the Deputy Director General of the International Organisation for Migration Ambassador Ms Laura Thompson on “the IOM’s Perspective on the Migration / refugee Crisis in Europe and the MENA Region”, followed by time allocated for questions and answers.

The first session on the topic “Morocco: Internal and External Priorities” was moderated by Chairperson of the Mediterranean and Middle East Special Group Mr Gilbert Le Bris (France), and the participants in the gathering were addressed by representatives of the following national institutions: Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms Mbarka Bouaida who talked about “Political and Economic Situation”, then by Minister for Relations with Parliament and Civil Society Mr Abdelaziz El Omari on “Priorities of the Moroccan Foreign Policy”, followed by time allocated for questions and answers.

This was followed by a session dedicated to the topic “A Unified International Strategy in the face of security challenges in the Middle East”, moderated by the Vice President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Mr Paolo Alli (Italy), and on this occasion the presentation was held by the Minister of the Interior Mr Mohamed Hassad on “The Security Situation and the Deash Challenge” and visiting lecturer at the Middle East Programme, representative of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Mr Joseph Bahout on the topic “International Diplomatic and Military Responses to the Syrian and Iraq Crises”. Within this session, the discussion of participants followed the address by Head of the Middle East and North Africa Section at the Political Affairs and Security Policy Division of NATO Mr Nicola De Santis on the topic “NATO policy in the MENA Region”

This seminar of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly is aimed at securing a forum and enabling dialogue at the parliamentary level on the issues of security among the main legislators of the NATO states and their counterparts from partner states and providing current information from the subject field.

The Joint 91st Rose-Roth Seminar and Seminar of the Mediterranean and Middle East Special Group (GSM) and the Sub-Committee on Transatlantic Economic Relations of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, whose implementation was supported by the Swiss Government, has gathered about 150 participants, such as parliamentarians from NATO and its associated members and partner states, high officials and representatives of international organisations, NGOs, universities, governments, and representatives of public opinion.

The Seminar will continue its work tomorrow.