Bulgaria and the Kingdom of Morocco may exchange experience and working practices and pool efforts in the sphere of migration policy, granting asylum and citizenship. This is what Vice-president Margarita Popova said at the meeting she had with Driss El Yazami, chair of the National Human Rights Council. The talks were held as part of the Vice-president’s official visit to the African country and were conducted on the occasion of International Migrants Day – 18 December. Margarita Popova highlighted the trend observed in 2013 and 2014 for Morocco to be not only a country-source of emigration, but also the target-country of immigration.
“The Kingdom of Morocco is a southern gate to Europe, and Bulgaria is the EU’s east border,” Margarita Popova said, adding that the two countries’ geographical location places them on the road of the migration flows. “When the world follows with concern the caravans of refugees, the Kingdom of Morocco expediently adopted a reasonable migration policy,” Margarita Popova said. She added that the country’s new approach in this sphere was completely in line with the reforms on strengthening the democratic principles and policies, initiated by the King of Morocco Mohammed VI. Driss El Yazami, for his part, said that a growing number of refugees were setting off for Bulgaria and Morocco, and that the migration flows are expected to increase worldwide. “Therefore good practices should be exchanged,” he added.
Driss El Yazami, chair of the National Human Rights Council, accepted Vice-president Margarita Popova’s invitation to visit Bulgaria at the beginning of 2015.
Resolving migration-driven problems requires that different policies and approaches be adopted and that they take into account the local specificities of each country, Vice-president Margarita Popova said at a meeting she held with Anis Birrou, Moroccan Minister in charge of Moroccans Living Abroad and Migration Affairs. In Margarita Popova’s words, the local characteristics of Bulgaria and Morocco and the two countries’ practices in this area may be useful in implementing a common European policy on migration. “The policy of migration which is in line with the capacities each country has requires patience, financial resources and philanthropy,” Margarita Popova said.
The Bulgarian Vice-president also held a meeting with Morocco’s Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar. The two shared the opinion that the challenges the contemporary world is facing require the joint efforts and interaction between the countries.
Margarita Popova got acquainted with the activity and practices of Morocco’s Central Body for the Prevention of Corruption. “Corruption in some countries has become an economic factor and it is the source of many ills in society,” Margarita Popova said at a meeting with the chair of the institution – Abdeslam Abudrar. In her view, the non-governmental sector plays a significant role in establishing and implementing anti-corruption practices.
During the visit in Rabat, on behalf of the King of Morocco His Excellency Mohammed VI, a dinner was given in honor of the Bulgarian Vice-president, which was presided by Abdelilah Benkirane, Prime Minister of the country.