Brussels, 23/07/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 21 July, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and Secretary General of the External Action Service Alain Leroy made a visit to Morocco. This was Mogherini's first visit to the country since she took up office and it was the opportunity for her to give a comprehensive reminder of both parties' ambitions for this EU-Morocco relationship - which is described as strategic.
During her visit, Mogherini met Morocco's Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane, several members of the government and representatives from civil society with whom she spoke about several issues - including bilateral and regional cooperation in the Mediterranean, migratory flows and security questions, especially in Libya.
During a press conference, Mogherini and Morocco's Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar described their meeting in a similar way: “I have the impression that our speeches have been written by the same person”, Mogherini said, going on more seriously to summarise the detail of the points of convergence in the EU-Morocco bilateral relationship - a relationship to which she gives “strategic importance”. This is a “solid partnership, a relationship of trust” which is characterised by similar values being shared with regard to the challenges in the Mediterranean - “currently the most difficult region in the world”, in which Morocco is playing a “fundamental” role, Mogherini stated. She thus thanked her hosts for their contribution to the search for a settlement to the Libyan conflict.
Mogherini also announced that an agreement would soon be signed on “the management of civilian crises” - an agreement that will enable Morocco to be involved in a timely way in the efforts of the EU for resolving crises. She also affirmed the EU's support for the organisation of the COP22 climate change meeting, which will be held in Marrakesh in 2016 after the next climate change meeting in Paris in December. In addition, Mogherini spoke of the importance of Morocco's participation in the next international conference on migration flows - in Malta in November - involving international organisations (including the UN) and African countries in order to deal not only with the current issue of growing migration flows across the Mediterranean, but also with “deep-rooted causes” of this.
Mezouar, for his part, spoke about the Moroccan position on certain issues that come under Morocco's relationship with the EU. He thus stated that an agreement would soon be signed (it has already been initialled) on agricultural geographical indications, and that the discussions on trade would continue (the deep and comprehensive free trade area - DCFTA), as would the discussions on managing migration flows. He also expressed his hope that the revised neighbourhood policy “might bring an ambitious political vision and a strategic outlook offering clear perspectives for a new framework contract” for those countries that want “further rapprochement and integration with the EU”. Mezouar asked for his country to be able to host a meeting in the autumn on the results of the ongoing consultations on this policy.
In addition, Mezouar underlined the duty of deepening the regional dimension. “Morocco believes it is essential to support the UfM [Union for the Mediterranean], which has all the necessary qualities for integration in the Mediterranean”, he said, before stressing the importance of the Maghrebi framework and that of the 5+5 (Western Northern and Southern Mediterranean), and of the common role to be played in the Sahel and Libya, in addition to “the challenges of development in Africa”. In conclusion, Mezouar underlined the duty of deepening and better framing the relationship between the two shores of the Mediterranean: “We are in a disrupted region, but the future can be built in difficult times”. Morocco “trusts the EU and the EU trusts Morocco”, he said, insisting on the fact that his country's advantage is not to be a “disrupting element” in the region.
Questioned about the Western Sahara, Mogherini reaffirmed the EU's position, which is in line with that of the UN and consists of supporting the efforts for “self-determination of the people of the Western Sahara”. She also expressed her “concern as to the length of the conflict”. (Fathi B'Chir)