Bourita emphasized that these agreements align with Morocco’s commitment to its international obligations. They are also in line with the Royal High Guidelines aimed at strengthening cooperation and partnership ties, thus reinforcing the country’s position on both the continental and international levels.
He stated that the Kingdom’s foreign policy, led under the guidance of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, is based on a pragmatic and operational approach. From this perspective, each agreement is meant to achieve specific goals and fit into a coherent political and legal vision for the medium and long term, covering all areas of cooperation between Morocco and its partners.
He highlighted that 12 agreements were signed with African brotherly countries, representing 63% of the total, thus reflecting the priority given to Africa in Morocco’s foreign policy. They cover vital areas requiring trust and partnership, such as judicial, customs, fiscal, economic cooperation, and transportation.
The minister noted the economic focus of these conventions, with nearly half dedicated to this aspect, in line with the Royal Will to make diplomacy a lever for national economic growth, both domestically and internationally.
In this regard, he stressed the need for increased mobilization by the ministry to strengthen its role through economic diplomacy, acting as a lever for the benefit of the State and Morocco’s economic fabric.
Bourita also underscored the importance given in these conventions to the Southern Provinces, with 11 out of the 19 bilateral agreements signed in these regions, particularly in Dakhla, demonstrating the active contribution of these provinces to Moroccan diplomacy, through hosting international meetings and mixed commissions.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs also highlighted that many conventions, particularly in the field of land transportation, endorse the Moroccan Sahara stance by making the El Guerguerat border post a strategic transit point to Africa.
He added that this is part of the Royal Initiatives for the Sahel and Atlantic regions, further strengthening the position of Moroccan Sahara as a link in connecting the country to its African strategic depth.
The Minister pointed out that Moroccan diplomacy does not aim to conclude as many conventions as possible, but rather to fully honor its international commitments.
He stressed the importance of being firm and cautious, and of taking the necessary time to draw up and negotiate conventions, while strictly respecting the commitments made once they have been concluded.
With regard to the nature of the agreements, Bourita specified that 19 are bilateral and are structured around four main areas. The first concerns economic development, with five agreements, including two investment incentive agreements with Cabo Verde and Sierra Leone, two customs administrative assistance agreements with Burkina Faso and Gambia, and a double taxation agreement with Cabo Verde.
The second area pertains to transport, and comprises six agreements, including two on land transport with Guinea and Gambia, one on maritime transport and ports with the Sultanate of Oman, another on civil aviation with Cambodia, and two on driving licenses with Italy and Spain.
Several agreements were signed on sectoral cooperation, notably a fisheries cooperation agreement with Gambia, a military agreement with Romania, and a civil protection agreement with Burkina Faso.
As part of the fourth axis, five conventions aim to expand the network of judicial assistance, including two on extradition with Sierra Leone and the Netherlands, a convention on the transfer of sentenced persons with Burkina Faso, a convention on cooperation in criminal matters with Sierra Leone, and another in criminal, civil, commercial and administrative matters with the same country.
Concerning multilateral conventions, they comprise eight conventions divided into two categories. The first concerns agreements with an institutional dimension and headquarters agreements, notably an agreement with the Pan-African Development Institute to establish its permanent headquarters in Dakhla, an agreement with the University Agency for Francophonie to set up a center for North Africa in Rabat, and an agreement on the creation of the Digital Cooperation Organization signed in 2020.
According to the Minister, the second category pertains to legal harmonization, and includes five conventions aimed at aligning Moroccan domestic law with international law. These include the Convention on the Law of the Sea concerning marine biodiversity, the amendment to the Chicago Convention on Civil Aviation, the Convention on Offences Committed on Board Aircraft, as well as two conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO), namely Convention 118 on equal treatment of nationals and non-nationals in matters of social security, and Convention 173 on the protection of workers’ claims in the event of the insolvency of their employer.
Bourita also pointed out that Morocco had expressed reservations on certain provisions of these conventions should they prove to be at odds with national legislation.
These conventions, he concluded, are not only important for their content or the signatory parties, but also for their contribution to expanding Morocco’s network of relations and opening up new prospects for cooperation with its partners.
