Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said, Thursday, that the north African country will reinforce regional cooperation with the European Union and Israel.
In a press conference with European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi, Bourita stated that Israel is an integral part of the Moroccan-European partnership. “The tripartite relationship will foster cooperation and coordination in areas of common interest.”
In this regard, the Moroccan top official added that the three parties will sign an agreement by the end of March to confirm the importance of the said regional ties, especially in the Southern Mediterranean Basin.
On this occasion, Bourita asked the EU to remove Morocco from the grey list that warrants increased surveillance for money laundering and terrorism financing, recalling that the kingdom has been removed from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) list.
For his part, Várhelyi explained that the tripartite cooperation with Israel “will solve crucial challenges” related to water resources and investment.
Earlier in the day, Minister Delegate for Economy Faouzi Lakjaa and Várhelyi signed five cooperation programs worth 5.5 Bln dirhams (500Mln euros) to support major reform projects in the Kingdom.
The programs include social protection program “KARAMA” with a budget of 1.43Mln MAD, green partnership program “AL ARD AL KHADRAA” totaling 1.26Mln MAD, the public administration reform program with 550Mln MAD, the migration management program with 1.67Mln MAD, and the financial inclusion program worth 561Mln MAD.
This visit shows the momentum and the dynamic marking the Morocco-EU ties. It mirrors a Europe that values Morocco’s geostrategic assets and leadership, in contrast to very few European countries seeking to undermine this relation.
EU high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borrell paid in January a visit to Morocco during which he reaffirmed the two parties’ eagerness to expand their collaboration and preserve their partnership.