At the beginning of this meeting, Bourita welcomed his Yemeni counterpart and the accompanying delegation, emphasizing the depth of the fraternal and strong relations uniting the two countries and peoples.
The Minister reaffirmed the Kingdom of Morocco’s commitment to further strengthening a constructive common action, in order to elevate bilateral relations in all fields of cooperation to broader horizons, in line with the supreme aspirations of the leaders of both countries, His Majesty King Mohammed VI and His brother, His Excellency Dr. Rashad Muhammad Al-Alimi, President of the Presidential Leadership Council of the Republic of Yemen, and to meet the ambitions and aspirations of both brotherly peoples for greater complementarity, prosperity, and well-being.
On this occasion, Bourita reiterated the commitment to reinforce the role of the Joint Commission as a central institutional mechanism to frame and develop bilateral relations, strengthen their areas of cooperation, and consolidate their legal framework.
He also called for moving forward in establishing concrete and achievable projects and for taking all necessary initiatives to bring bilateral relations to an even higher level of complementarity and harmony, thus meeting the shared expectations of both countries.
Bourita expressed the Kingdom of Morocco’s pride in the level of its relations with the sisterly Republic of Yemen, as evidenced by the constant solidarity and mutual assistance between the two countries, and also expressed gratitude for Yemen’s unwavering and full support for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Moroccan identity of the Sahara, a position that is familiar to this brotherly country and its noble and authentic people.
The Minister added that the Kingdom of Morocco, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, reaffirms its strong support for Yemen’s constitutional legitimacy, represented by the Presidential Leadership Council, as well as for Yemen’s national and territorial unity, stability, and sovereignty.
Morocco rejects any foreign interference in Yemen’s internal affairs and believes that the resolution of the crisis in this country must come through a political solution based on relevant international resolutions, notably Security Council Resolution 2216, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative and its implementation mechanisms, as well as the results of the national dialogue, aiming to preserve Yemen’s unity and stability and ensure its sovereignty.
Regarding the current international and regional situation, marked by great complexity and sensitivity, particularly in the Middle East, with ongoing developments in Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan, and Libya, Bourita shared the convergence of positions between the two brotherly countries, particularly with regard to the need to preserve the territorial and national unity of Arab states and to reject destructive separatist ambitions.
On the Palestinian issue, the Moroccan Foreign Minister reaffirmed that the Kingdom of Morocco, whose Sovereign chairs the Al-Quds Committee, remains firmly committed to a just peace.
He assured that Morocco is deeply convinced of the need to combine regional and international efforts to launch a serious political process, based on the resolutions of international legality, leading, through negotiations, to a definitive political solution based on the two-state formula, under which the West Bank and Gaza Strip will be part of an independent Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Regarding action within regional and international organizations, Bourita emphasized the importance of coordinating the positions of the two countries on matters of common interest, strengthening their cooperation at the multilateral level, and continuing to mutually support their candidacies in these organizations.
Furthermore, the Minister noted that although the political ties between the two countries are distinguished, bilateral trade and economic relations require, in the next phase, investment in and utilization of available opportunities and potentials in priority sectors, in order to establish the foundations for fruitful and sustainable cooperation that meets both parties’ aspirations for the development of their economic, social, and development structures.
On this occasion, the Minister announced the addition of 20 scholarships for Yemeni students enrolled in vocational training institutes in the Kingdom, with 30 more to be added later, bringing the total number of scholarships granted to these students to 150.
In this regard, Bourita expressed his belief that Morocco and Yemen have potential that can be optimally exploited at multiple levels, in harmony with the visionary development outlook of the leaders of both countries and their strong will to face the challenges of progress and sustainable development with all the guarantees of success.
