Morocco & Pacific Island States hold forum in Laayoune

The 3rd Morocco-Pacific Island States Forum is currently held in the Southern Moroccan city of Laayoune to strengthen “win-win economic cooperation” ties between the North African Kingdom and its partners in the pacific islands.

The theme of the three-day event, which started Feb.26, revolves around strengthening ties, delivering on commitments, and unifying voices for shared prosperity between Morocco and the Pacific Island States.

The Forum is discussing ways of unifying voices for shared prosperity and looking into partnership projects in various sectors to foster south-south cooperation.

The agenda also features debates on regional challenges, including climate change, the promotion of renewable energies and the achievement of development goals.

The first Morocco-Pacific Island States Forum was held in 2012, while the second was convened in 2015.

The Moroccan Saharan cities of Dakhla and Laayoune have become regional hubs for landmark international events and were chosen by several African countries as a venue for their general consulates, confirming their strong support to Morocco’s territorial integrity and recognizing the Moroccanness of the Sahara.

The African countries which set up lately a diplomatic mission in Laayoune are Côte d’Ivoire, the Union of the Comoros, Gabon, Sao Tome & Principe and Central Africa Republic, while Gambia and Guinea-Conakry have chosen the city of Dakhla to install their diplomatic representations. Other countries are expected to follow suit.