Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa applauded Morocco’s efforts to move the Sahara political process forward during the 3rd session of the Arab-Japanese ministerial dialogue held on Tuesday in Cairo, Egypt, describing them as “serious and credible.”
Japan’s top diplomatic official stressed the importance of the autonomy plan presented by Morocco, while expressing support for the mediation efforts of the UN Secretary-General and his Special Envoy for the Sahara.
Hayashi also highlighted the excellent relations that Japan and Morocco have always enjoyed, based on the strong friendship between the Japanese Imperial Family and the Moroccan Royal Family. He also affirmed Japan’s commitment to further strengthen these relations in a number of areas, notably business and investment.
Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita, heading up a large delegation at the meeting, hailed the age-old ties of friendship that have always existed between the two countries, and expressed the Kingdom of Morocco’s readiness to deepen cooperation between the two countries in a wide range of areas, including the exchange of high-level visits, trade and investment, and political dialogue.
The ministerial dialogue is a result of a memorandum of cooperation between the Arab League and Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs signed in September 2013, establishing a mechanism for cooperation and political consultation of the foreign affairs ministers of the signatories.