The Foreign Secretary has welcomed the parliamentary elections in Morocco and said that Britain's Coalition is looking forward to working with the newly-elected government. Describing the elections as an opportunity for peaceful change, the advancement of human rights and economic development across the region, William Hague encouraged each country in the region to follow the path of peaceful reform.

"These elections support the implementation of the new Constitution passed by a referendum in July and are important to Morocco's progress towards greater democratic accountability," said Mr Hague. "This was my message during my visit to Morocco last month where I discussed political reform and declared our willingness to support projects to increase political participation and promote transparency in public institutions through our Arab Partnership Initiative." The Foreign Secretary met representatives from a broad range of political parties during his trip to discuss the opportunities and challenges they face. "I was impressed by the willingness of the parties to promote popular participation in the political process," he added.