The joint Communiqué issued at the end of the 15th session of the Morocco-EU Association Council also welcomed “the constructive and visionary role played by Morocco in regional cooperation initiatives,” with discussions between the two parties focusing on major developments in common neighboring countries, with particular emphasis on the Initiative for Atlantic African States.
Launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI in 2022, this major geostrategic Initiative brings together the 23 African countries bordering the Atlantic and aims to structure the African Atlantic zone into an area of dialogue and cooperation to promote stability and co-development, as well as better integration of the region’s economies.
The European Union (EU) explicitly expressed also its “support for the work of the Al-Quds Committee, chaired by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in favor of lasting peace and stability in the Middle East,” thus highlighting His Majesty the King’s recognized role as a Defender of peace and a trusted actor in the search for a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on the two-State solution.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates, Mr Nasser Bourita stressed ‘’ this meeting is of particular importance on both the symbolic and political and economic levels, adding , ‘’noting that it comes as the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Morocco-European Union Association Agreement approaches, marking three decades of a solid and diversified institutional partnership in which Morocco has always been at the forefront of the EU’s relations with its Mediterranean neighborhood ».
Mr. Bourita also highlighted the political dimension of this session, which is being held in an international context marked by uncertainty and conflict. Under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Morocco positions itself as a stable partner, offering visibility to its partners, and standing out for its clear-eyed and precise reading of regional and international issues, he underlined.
On the economic front, Bourita noted that Morocco remains the European Union’s leading trading partner south of the Mediterranean and in Africa, considering that this partnership can serve as a source of inspiration for the future of relations between the EU and its southern neighborhood.
On this occasion, the minister took stock of the six years since the Association Council meeting in June 2019, describing it as “positive overall,” with “substantial progress” achieved in the four areas of cooperation defined together, namely common values, economic convergence and social cohesion, shared knowledge, as well as political consultation and increased cooperation on security.
For its part, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, stated that the EU is keen to strengthen its partnership with Morocco in light of common regional and international challenges.
This meeting aims above all to “do more together,” Kallas said, highlighting in particular cooperation in the fields of migration and security, as well as the very significant role Morocco has played within the UN Human Rights Council.
Furthermore Kallas stressed the importance of strengthening dialogue and cooperation at the international level, while underscoring “Morocco’s unique experience in combating terrorism and radicalization.”
She also announced that the European Union has adopted a new common of the Moroccan Sahara, following the UN Security Council resolution.
In addition to the co-chairs, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita and EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, the 15th session of the Association Council was attended by Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica, and several European foreign ministers, notably from Spain, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, and Malta, as well as senior representatives from all EU member States.
