RABAT, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Speaker of the Moroccan House of Representatives Habib El Malki and his Liberian counterpart Bhopal Chambers vowed to cement legislative cooperation between the two countries, the Moroccan parliament said in a statement on Sunday.

According to the statement, the two speakers met on the sidelines of Malki's participation in the inauguration ceremony of the new President-elect of the Republic of Liberia, George Weah, where he will represent King Mohammed VI.

Malki hailed Liberia's democratic and economic progress, which he said would enable Liberia to play a pioneering role in the region.

He said that Morocco's quest to develop relations and partnerships with its African brothers stems from its desire to cooperate, to exchange experiences and to serve the interests of the peoples of the continent.

The Moroccan official underscored the need to develop coordination and exchanges between the legislative institutions of the two countries.

For his part, Chambers hailed the historical relations between the two countries, stressing that "Liberia never forgets its friends who have supported it in difficult times, including the Kingdom of Morocco which provides constant and concrete support in various areas."

He also welcomed Morocco's return to the African Union, reaffirming his country's full support for the kingdom's request to join the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Morocco, which holds the status of observer at ECOWAS, requested membership of the organization last February, a month after the kingdom rejoined the African Union.

The Moroccan speaker extended an invitation to his Liberian peer to visit Morocco to discuss the means to strengthen institutional relations between the parliaments of the two countries.