RABAT: Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita engaged in discussions with Jassim Mohammed Al Budaiwi, Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), during an official visit to Morocco. The talks, held in Rabat on Thursday, centered on the strategic partnership established between Morocco and the GCC in 2011 and explored its political, economic, and cultural dimensions.
According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, the partnership’s foundations were laid under the guidance of HM King Mohammed VI and the leaders of the GCC states. A significant milestone in this partnership was the Morocco-Gulf Countries Summit, convened in Riyadh on April 20, 2016, with participation from HM King Mohammed VI and GCC Heads of State. The summit bolstered bilateral momentum, emphasizing solidarity and complementarity, and opened avenues for cooperative efforts.
The joint declaration from the summit highlighted the alignment of Morocco and the GCC
‘s perspectives on regional and international issues of mutual interest. It underscored a commitment to fostering stability and sustainable development within the Arab region, aiming to preserve state sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national unity.
The meeting in Rabat aimed to further develop and enrich this strategic partnership, with an emphasis on involving Moroccan and Gulf private sectors to drive growth through expanded cooperation in promising fields across Morocco and the GCC states.
Bourita expressed appreciation for the unwavering support from the Gulf states regarding Morocco’s national causes, particularly the territorial integrity issue. He acknowledged the GCC Supreme Council’s principled backing of Moroccan Sahara and efforts to maintain Morocco’s security and stability.
The dialogue also covered various regional and international issues, with a mutual reaffirmation of support for the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights to establish an independent state with East Al-Quds as its c
apital, based on the June 1967 borders.