Moroccan Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar said on Wednesday that Morocco's return to the African Union (AU) reflects the kingdom's attachment to the continent.

This attachment will enable Morocco to strengthen its presence in the continent as well as to contribute to Africa's development, Mezouar told the press on the sidelines of the Moroccan parliament's review of the constituent act of the African Union (AU), its additional protocol and the bill on the approval of the act.

Morocco's parliament is expected to adopt the bill this week prior to the start of the AU summit on Jan. 22-31 at its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The council of ministers approved the draft texts on Jan. 10 as part of its bid to rejoin the organization.

Morocco left the organization of African Unity, which later became the AU, in 1984 after the group recognized Western Sahara's independence.

The North African country made an official request in last September to join the AU.

In recent weeks, the Moroccan king has toured several African countries seeking support for the bid.

(Xinhua News Agency January 18, 2017)