The Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, announced a tripartite cooperation between Morocco, Israel and the European Union during a joint press conference with the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi.
"We have prepared in a document the areas of cooperation, which we will sign before the end of this month to consolidate this tripartite dimension", Bourita declared in Rabat, according to EFE.
Várhelyi, for his part, assured that this partnership "will solve crucial challenges" related to the management of water resources and the search for investment, according to the news agency.
Joint press conference between Mr. Nasser Bourita and the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Mr. Olivér Várhelyi.@OliverVarhelyi pic.twitter.com/GM8fmdyzyJ
— Moroccan Diplomacy ?? (@Marocdiplo_EN) March 2, 2023
According to the European Commissioner, this initiative can also serve "to build bridges between peoples and to build peace". In this regard, he highlighted the "influential role" of Morocco, which re-established relations with Israel in December 2020 by joining the Abraham Accords.
During Várhelyi's visit to the Kingdom, the head of Moroccan diplomacy noted that relations between Rabat and the EU are experiencing "a positive development". "With the European Commission, above all, there is a positive development in the relationship and cooperation, there are concrete results," Bourita stressed, expressing his desire to continue "with this same practical logic and in this same spirit so that there are concrete projects that deepen the relationship between the two parties".
Mr. Bourita: Mr. Várhelyi's visit to Morocco is his 2nd visit in less than a year, reflecting the depth, strength and resilience of relations between Morocco and @EU_Commission Our meetings are always positive, marked by the spirit of sincerity, friendship and commitment. pic.twitter.com/czUaZfVR8T
— Moroccan Diplomacy ?? (@Marocdiplo_EN) March 2, 2023
Before Várhelyi, Bourita stressed that this good harmony between Rabat and Brussels in recent years has been marked by "more listening, deeper dialogue and a desire for the countries of the southern Mediterranean to take ownership of the projects developed".
This visit - the first by a senior European official since the European Parliament's resolution on press freedom in the Kingdom - "highlights the depth, strength and force of relations between the Kingdom and the European Commission," Bourita explained, reports Hespress.
M. Nasser Bourita a reçu, aujourd'hui à Rabat, le Commissaire européen à la Politique de Voisinage et à l'Élargissement, M. Olivér Várhelyi.@OliverVarhelyi @eu_near @EU_Commission @UE_au_Maroc pic.twitter.com/CTpBY937fr
— Maroc Diplomatie ?? (@MarocDiplomatie) March 2, 2023
"The positive meetings are marked by a spirit of openness, friendship and the spirit of implementation of our commitments regarding the development of relations with the European Union," he added.
Bourita also noted that the bilateral partnership has deepened at the regional level, achieving "positive results". "We will work to implement all that has been agreed in order to open new horizons in the security field and in the area of migration," he said.
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— Oliver Varhelyi (@OliverVarhelyi) March 2, 2023
In 2023 work continues unabated:
?we support projects in energy & transport to boost competitiveness
?we support water management & agriculture sector
?we support the policy of the Gov’t to offer jobs & economic opportunities to SME
?we support Mohammed VI Investment Fund pic.twitter.com/eFQ5vG8WA4
Likewise, as reported by the Moroccan media, the minister asked Brussels to remove the Kingdom from its grey list, recalling that the reforms led to the country's removal from the grey list of the FATF, the anti-money laundering organisation.
The European Commissioner's trip is part of the "Euro-Moroccan Partnership for Shared Prosperity" and aims to develop projects announced in June 2019. During his stay, Várhelyi stressed that Morocco "is and will remain an essential partner" for Brussels.
We address crucial challenges together.
— Oliver Varhelyi (@OliverVarhelyi) March 2, 2023
We signed today a substantial financial package.
We are financing 5 projects worth EUR 500 million:
?KARAMA- social protection
?Terre Verte - agriculture
?Migration
?Public Administration
?Financial inclusion pic.twitter.com/oPRipxOJQI
Five cooperation programmes worth around 500 million euros were also signed, relating to major priorities for both parties in the areas of social protection, agriculture and forestry, financial inclusion, public administration reform and migration.