Morocco-EU: Shared desire to deepen dialogue, cooperation

Morocco-EU: Shared Desire to Deepen Dialogue, Cooperation

Morocco and the European Union (EU) expressed, Thursday in Rabat, their shared desire to deepen dialogue and cooperation, within the framework of the strategic partnership established between the two parties, to which King Mohammed VI attaches particular importance.

This willingness was expressed during talks held in Rabat this Thursday between Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, who is currently visiting Morocco, the department of the Head of Government said in a statement.

During the talks, Akhannouch welcomed the momentum of relations between the Kingdom and the EU, which has helped structure the partnership between the two parties and improve it at different levels.

He welcomed, in this regard, the positive results of the partnership in the areas of agriculture and fisheries, finance, investment, green economy, migration and security.

The Head of Government also commended the level of trade between the two parties which has enabled Morocco to position itself as the first economic and commercial partner of the European Union on the African continent, the level of trade between the two parties having reached, in 2021, more than €45 billion and tripled in 10 years.

Akhannouch also expressed satisfaction at the harmony and concordance between the agenda of social and economic reforms undertaken by Morocco under the enlightened leadership of King Mohammed VI, and the support provided by the European Union to these projects, a number of which will be implemented in 2023.

The European official also held talks with Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita.

The two men affirmed the two partners’ willingness to strengthen their cooperation, and protect their partnership.

The European Union is a key strategic partner for Morocco, which is working to strengthen this partnership in various fields, said Bourita at a joint press conference following his meeting with Josep Borrell.

For his part, Josep Borrell affirmed the European Union’s desire to “broaden” and “deepen” the partnership with Morocco which “is based on values”, underlining the shared objective to build up a more ambitious partnership.

The head of European diplomacy also announced two new initiatives to strengthen this partnership.

These are a high-level dialogue on security that will be organized in Rabat soon, and enhanced cooperation in multilateral bodies between Morocco and the European Union. In this context, he said “multilateral international architecture must be reviewed,” adding that the initiatives carried out by the countries of the North and the South have their place in this process of renewal.

Borrell is on a two-day official visit to Morocco, which is intended to provide an opportunity for an in-depth discussion on the implementation of the EU-Morocco partnership, including in the context of the new Mediterranean Agenda.

The historic partnership between Morocco and the European Union has continued to develop in recent years, becoming a reference in the EU’s neighborhood policy.