Arab Summit: Morocco’s King calls for respect of territorial integrity of states & refraining from supporting separatism

King Mohammed VI has called for the respect of the national sovereignty & territorial integrity of states and for refraining from sponsoring separatist movements, sending a strong message to the neighboring Algerian military regime.

In a message addressed to the 34th Summit of the League of Arab, convening in Bagdad, the King said the exceptionally difficult circumstances in which this important Summit is being held require sincere political will rooted in a firm belief in joint action and strict adherence to the principles of neighborliness and non-interference in states’ internal affairs, stressing the need to strengthen joint Arab action to counter shared challenges.

In his message read out by Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, the King affirmed that Morocco supports all initiatives aimed at advancing joint Arab cooperation in order to tackle the crisis of rising food and energy prices as well as water scarcity, and to respond to the urgent need to address the adverse effects of climate change.

The goals sought from consolidating the principles of political solidarity and supporting Arab causes will be achieved only when we establish strong inter-Arab economic and trade partnerships that can broaden prospects for the achievement of growth and prosperity for all Arab peoples, underlined the King.

Investing in renewable energy, artificial intelligence, and modern technology offer, perhaps, a real opportunity for development, and for transitioning to more sustainable green economic models, in addition to engaging in the global changes occurring in the world, said the Moroccan Monarch, noting that North Africa remains the least economically integrated region in the Arab world and the least dynamic in terms of inter-Arab trade, despite its abundant natural resources and economic potential.

“Given this situation, I cannot but regret, once again, that the Arab Maghreb Union has not been able to play its natural role in promoting the joint development of the Maghreb countries by guaranteeing, in particular, the free movement of people, capital, goods, and services between its five Member States”, said the King.

The King devoted a large part of his address to the tragic situation in the Palestinian territories, where dozens of defenseless Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are killed on a daily basis.

To put an end to this alarming situation, the Monarch called for immediate cessation of military operations and a return to the negotiating table with a view to reviving the truce agreement as a prelude to declaring a final ceasefire.

The King reiterated further Morocco’s supportive stand to the legitimate Palestinian cause and stressed the need to open up prospects for a political solution in order to bring about genuine, just peace to the region, which guarantees the Palestinian people the achievement of their legitimate rights and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State on the June 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital and the Gaza Strip as an integral part of this state.