The British Secretary of State for International Development, the Middle East and North Africa, Andrew Murrison, reiterated, on Tuesday in Rabat, his country's full support for the UN process to find a solution to the question of the Moroccan Sahara, and to the “serious and credible” efforts made in this direction by Morocco.
“It is important to reaffirm the position already expressed by the United Kingdom, namely that we fully support the UN process and the serious and credible efforts made by Morocco in this direction,” the British official said after the meeting. his talks with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Nasser Bourita. Which indicated that the Moroccan-British relations are moving towards the establishment of a real strategic partnership and that the 2nd session of the Strategic Dialogue between the two countries held Tuesday in Rabat is able to concretize this ambition.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Andrew Murrison, he pointed out that the bilateral relations are enjoying positive momentum and growing steadily stronger in all areas.
This dynamic, the minister noted, is reflected in the numerous encounters and meetings held between high-level officials, in particular the visit of Prince Harry and his wife and their reception by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, as well as the visits of ministers. of Commerce and the British Armed Forces and the holding of the first session of the Strategic Dialogue, welcoming, in this regard, the level of military and security cooperation existing between the two kingdoms.
Nasser Bourita also highlighted the coordination between the two countries within international and regional organizations, as well as the mutual understanding of the strategic interests of the two countries at the regional and international levels.
On the economic and trade side, he noted the positive trend of trade exchanges over the past two years, noting the holding of several meetings next year to strengthen bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
In this regard, the Minister announced that the two parties have agreed to sign, as soon as possible, a post-Brexit bilateral trade agreement, which is in its final phase, and which is capable of generating greater opportunities for trade between Morocco and the United Kingdom.
Similarly, Nasser Bourita said that his meeting with Andrew Murrison was an opportunity to exchange their views on regional issues in North Africa, the Middle East and West Africa and to examine how to coordinate their positions on these issues in the future.
Moreover, and during a joint press briefing with the Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mounia Boucetta, on the occasion of the holding of the second session of the Morocco-Grande-Morocco strategic dialogue Bretagne, the British Secretary of State for International Development, the Middle East and North Africa highlighted the progress made since the 1st session of the Dialogue was held in London on July 5, 2018.
The British official said he was satisfied with the results obtained since then, highlighting the importance of this meeting which demonstrates "the depth and breadth" of the friendship existing between the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Morocco.
He also expressed on this occasion the United Kingdom's willingness to continue working with its international partners, expressing the wish to see relations with Morocco further strengthened, particularly in the economic field.
He stressed the imperative to consolidate bilateral ties in various areas of common interest, particularly in the security, educational and cultural fields, as well as in capacity building.
For her part, Mounia Boucetta welcomed the fruitful exchange and in-depth discussions between the Kingdom of Morocco and the United Kingdom, which made it possible to identify several priority areas of common interest.
"This session was an opportunity to mark the excellence of the privileged relations and the centuries-old friendship linking the Kingdom of Morocco and the United Kingdom, two countries which share the same values and the same interests within the framework of respect and mutual trust," Ms. Boucetta said, noting that this is an opportunity for both parties to assess the state of bilateral relations and the cooperation priorities identified following the holding of the 1st session of the Strategic Dialogue. .
The Moroccan official indicated, in this regard, that four main aspects were discussed during this meeting, namely the political, security, economic, cultural and educational fields.
"We have expressed the will to strengthen the strategic dialogue and to pursue efforts to hoist it into a truly exceptional partnership", noted Mounia Boucetta, explaining that it was agreed to examine the means of strengthening the political consultations between Ministries of Foreign Affairs as well as in the various international forums.
She also reiterated the support of both parties for peace and stability, particularly in Africa, and the joint determination to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
"We discussed the problems relating to conflicts and security on the continent, particularly concerning insecurity and instability in the Sahelo-Saharan region and we underlined the importance of consolidating consultations on topical issues" , said Mounia Boucetta, welcoming the positive and appreciated development of cooperation between the security institutions of the two countries, which has resulted in a large number of expert visits, as well as the interest in further deepening cooperation in this area. field, particularly in the area of training of trainers and the fight against terrorism.
On the economic level, Mounia Boucetta said that the two parties noted the promising results of the economic meetings which opened the way to new prospects for British investment in Morocco and pleaded for a reflection aimed at evaluating the possibilities of joint investments in Africa and the need for sustained momentum in strategic sectors such as finance, tourism and energy.
Regarding the session on education, culture and youth, the Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs assured that this session of the Strategic Dialogue has made it possible to highlight the positive dynamics of the Morocco-Kingdom partnership. Kingdom which is booming. She welcomed, on this occasion, the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on the creation of a joint Moroccan-British commission on higher education.
She also expressed Morocco's thanks to the United Kingdom for its support for the serious and credible efforts led by the Kingdom to reach a solution to the Sahara issue and its willingness to contribute actively to achieve a political solution under the exclusive aegis of the United Nations.