Rabat, October 14 (TNA) King Mohammed VI has called for a new phase of economic transformation, stronger territorial governance and a reset of migration cooperation with international partners, particularly Spain, as he opened the first session of the first legislative year of Morocco’s 12th Legislature.
The King, accompanied by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, Prince Moulay Rachid and Prince Moulay Ahmed, presided over the parliamentary opening ceremony at the Parliament headquarters in Rabat on Friday.
In his address, Mohammed VI said the new parliamentary and governmental term should mark a genuine turning point in Morocco’s ambition to become a stronger and more trusted economic power. He called for economic growth to be pursued alongside greater social and regional equity.
Focus on strategic sectors
The monarch urged the government to move beyond existing infrastructure projects and develop a new generation of national strategies focused on water security, energy transition, food security, industrial development, the digital economy and artificial intelligence.
He also called for faster expansion of Morocco’s strategic reserves and greater security of supply for basic commodities, citing the rapidly changing global geo-economic environment. The private sector, he said, must play a more central role in the country’s development. Moroccan businesses and investors were urged to increase innovation, expand investment, create more jobs and strengthen the country’s export capacity.
Push for local governance
A major part of the address focused on administrative decentralisation and the implementation of the de-concentration charter. The King said the success of the new political phase would depend on concrete work at the local level and the ability of authorities to identify regional problems and provide practical solutions.
He described further delays in implementing the de-concentration charter as unacceptable. The process, he said, must include the effective transfer of powers, administrative responsibilities and adequate human and financial resources from central ministries to regional and provincial authorities.
The objective is to improve public services, encourage local investment and ensure that citizens’ concerns are addressed more quickly and efficiently, the King said.
Migration ties with Spain
On foreign policy, Mohammed VI said Morocco had established itself as a responsible and reliable partner that respected its international commitments. He added that the Kingdom expected the same level of commitment and reciprocity from its partners.
Referring to migration cooperation with Spain, the King said Morocco’s balanced approach had produced tangible results but argued that the existing cooperation model had reached its limits. He cited recurring crises, outdated legal provisions and judicial decisions that he said were disconnected from reality. These factors, according to the King, have complicated the repatriation of unaccompanied minors and people making what he described as false asylum claims, while creating opportunities for criminal networks.
Mohammed VI stressed that Morocco’s partnerships would be based on voluntary commitments and could not be subjected to political pressure, threats or blackmail. He said Morocco would present its partners with a new strategic document aimed at placing migration cooperation within a broader framework of co-development, economic competitiveness and regional stability.
The address sets out a broad agenda for Morocco’s new legislative term, combining economic modernisation, stronger regional administration and a more assertive approach to international partnerships.