On Thursday 29 January, at the 15th EU-Morocco Association Council – the first since June 2029 – the EU High Representative, Kaja Kallas, and the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, reiterated their “firm commitment” to consolidating their strategic partnership “of equals”, in particular by building on the achievements of the advanced status and the Euro-Moroccan Partnership for Shared Prosperity, and to raising its ambitions.
In a joint statement, they reaffirmed “with renewed determination” their willingness to continue and intensify their exchanges, in order to raise the EU-Morocco partnership to match their shared ambitions. “We gave a commitment to further deepen our regular political dialogue, and to strengthen our strategic partnership and deepen it in all priority areas for both sides”, they added.
“Morocco is already a major partner of the European Union. And in the 30th year of our formal association agreement, it is time to strengthen our collaboration”, stressed Ms Kallas before the meeting.
The High Representative and the minister welcomed the progress made in the Euro-Moroccan Partnership for Shared Prosperity, which “shows the vitality and resilience of (their) partnership, and our common capacity to meet the challenges of our time”.
Ms Kallas said that the EU wanted to move forward its negotiations with Morocco on Europol and Eurojust and strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism and radicalisation, emphasising Morocco’s “unique” experience in this area.
“Morocco is the EU’s leading trading partner south of the Mediterranean and in Africa. Our partnership can be a source of inspiration for the relationship between the EU and its southern neighbour”, said the Minister.
Ms Kallas and Mr Bourita also stressed the “crucial” importance of the partnership in providing concerted responses to regional and global challenges. The High Representative reiterated the EU’s commitment to the settlement of the Western Sahara dispute, welcoming Morocco’s willingness to engage in good faith with all the parties concerned in order to clarify the terms of the autonomy plan it is proposing and to spell out how autonomy would be achieved within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)