Rabat: Morocco and Panama reiterated their commitment to further bolstering their bilateral ties. This commitment was formalized in a joint communiqu© signed in Rabat on Monday, following a meeting between Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, and his Panamanian peer, Javier Martnez-Acha V¡squez, who is on a working visit to the Kingdom of Morocco from June 14-18.
According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, the two ministers underscored the excellent ties of friendship and solidarity between the two countries and concurred on the need to maintain these exchanges and take stock of the bilateral relationship, to further reinforce it. The two countries pointed out that cooperation ties are founded on the principles of peaceful coexistence, democracy, good governance, solidarity, transparency, mutual respect, respect for human rights and international humanitarian law, and the non-use of unilateral sanctions.
Both sides highlighted that international law is essentially founded on mutual respect for territorial integrity, sovereignty, and State independence, along with the fulfillment of obligations arising from treaties and other international law sources. The two ministers welcomed their convergence of views on regional and international issues and reiterated their determination to work for peace and security in the world.
They agreed to pool efforts in the face of global challenges such as climate change, gender, human rights, the blue agenda, the green agenda, food security, health, prevention, preparation and response to pandemics, and the fight against insecurity and corruption, among other sectors in the various international and multilateral forums. Morocco and Panama also reaffirmed the importance of exchange between peoples in strengthening mutual understanding, friendship, and cooperation in the fields of communication, culture, education-learning, sports, arts, youth, civil society, and the economy.
The two sides delved into collaboration prospects in numerous Atlantic cooperation initiatives, expressing their ambition to turn the area into a geostrategic framework for concerted action to promote development and guarantee security, solidarity, and closer ties between South-South and South-North peoples. The two foreign ministers stressed that Morocco and Panama enjoy strategic geographic situations positioning them as vital hubs in the main international trade routes.
As converging countries in terms of their maritime role, the two senior officials highlighted the fundamental role of the Tanger Med port, recognized as one of the most advanced logistics centers in Africa and a gateway to the Mediterranean, as well as the importance of the Panama Canal, which efficiently links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, facilitating global maritime trade. They also expressed their firm commitment to intensifying investment through a fluid exchange of business information, the promotion of strategic alliances with the private sector, and the active promotion of initiatives facilitating and developing bilateral trade, in order to multiply business opportunities and explore the potential for diversifying trade and investment between the two countries.
Emphasizing the positive results achieved in the development of their bilateral and multilateral relations, Bourita and V¡squez expressed their shared willingness to continue strengthening the bilateral legal framework to address areas of common interest for cooperation. To this end, they welcomed the signing of several legal instruments, namely the Agreement on the Abolition of Visas for Diplomatic and Official Passports between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Panama, the Roadmap for Cooperation between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Panama 2025-2027, and the Joint Declaration sanctioning the videoconference of November 27, 2024.