Rabat – Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita, affirmed Thursday in Rabat that “the Kingdom of Morocco and the European Union have successfully concluded, in a spirit of partnership and consensus, negotiations on amending the agricultural agreement between the two parties”.
Bourita explained in a statement that “the signing will take place soon in Brussels”, and that pending the completion of internal procedures, “the agreement will be temporarily implemented once it is signed.”
The minister emphasized that the amended agreement “provides the necessary clarifications, while respecting the Kingdom’s national constants,” and is in line with the spirit and philosophy of the exchange of letters signed between the two parties in 2018. It also remains faithful to its general essence.
In this regard, the minister added that “the agreement confirms the application of preferential tariffs granted by the European Union under the partnership agreement with Morocco in the southern regions of the Kingdom,” stressing that “in general, the conditions for access to the European market applied to products from the north will also apply to products from the Moroccan Sahara.”
Bourita emphasized that the text also includes technical amendments related to informing consumers about the origin of products, as a label indicating the production areas in the south of the Kingdom – “Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra” and “Dakhla-Oued Eddahab” – will be placed on agricultural products.
The Minister also noted that the text recalls the position expressed by the European Union in 2019 on the issue of the Moroccan Sahara, in which it positively noted Morocco’s serious and credible efforts. He added that the text also refers to the subsequent national positions of several EU member states, which expressed their support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative, within the framework of the momentum launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
Mr. Bourita said, “Of course, this is not a political agreement, but rather a sectoral, commercial, and operational agreement. However, it also sends strong and clear signals.”
In this regard, the Minister highlighted the enlightened vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, thanks to which “the Moroccan Sahara has become a region of development, connectivity, and prosperity, asserting its position as a hub for regional stability and development.”
Bourita explained that this dynamic explains “the interest of major global and regional powers in economic activities in the Moroccan Sahara, and their desire to encourage trade and investment in the region, making the Sahara a link between Europe and Africa, and between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Oceans.”
BY: The Times Union
