EU council ready to support Morocco's democratic reforms

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is ready to support the democratic reforms programme ushered in Morocco, EU senior officials Bruno Haller and Mateo Sorinas stated after a meeting with Justice and Reconciliation Commission (IER) chairman Driss Benzekri in Strasbourg, France, Tuesday (24 January). Moroccan efforts towards law, human rights and civil and individual liberties are in line with EU council actions, said Haller, hailing the "unprecedented" experience of the IER, set up to look into and settle past rights abuses in Morocco between 1956 and 1999.

The EU Council can support Morocco in human right education and legislative reforms, notably in terms of fighting torture and ill-treatments," Haller said, underlining that the two parties "will further develop and consolidate" their co-operation. Sorinas said the IER's actions should have external support and called for closer relations between Moroccan and European members of parliament to promote a culture of tolerance based on respect of human rights.

Tags: Morocco, Fes, Maghreb, news