Paris, May 9, 2012 (MAP)
Paris, May 9, 2012 (MAP)
Moroccan Foreign Minister Saad Dine El Otmani said on Wednesday in Paris, following his first contact with Pierre Moscovici, representative of the new French President-elect, the socialist François Hollande, that the political change in France will not alter the position of Paris on vital issues for Morocco, especially the Sahara issue.
El Otmani told the press that the future executive team in France “will continue the same approach regarding the vital issues of Morocco, notably the Sahara, economic relations and investments,” in Morocco, recalling the favorable position of French socialists on the autonomy plan and their support to the political process under the aegis of the U.N.
First Secretary of the Socialist Party Martine Aubry, dispatched by Hollande to Morocco, where she was received in March by HM King Mohammed VI, had recalled her party’s support to the Moroccan proposal, “serious” basis to solve the dispute over the Sahara.
“The Socialist Party has always backed the substantial Moroccan autonomy proposal and considers that the Security Council should work on this proposal to settle the Sahara issue,” she had clearly stated.
The “excellent and cordial” meeting with Moscovici enabled El Otmani to measure “the commitment of President-elect and his future government to preserve bilateral relations and develop them further.”
During their talks, the two officials reviewed the various aspects of “political and economic” relations between Morocco and France and stressed on the excellent bilateral links not only at the official level, but also in terms of both peoples, given the importance of the Moroccan community in France and French investment in Morocco.
El Otmani reiterated to the representative of Holland the congratulations of HM the King expressed in the message sent by the Sovereign to the new president, following the announcement of his victory in the second round of presidential elections on Sunday night.
The Moroccan official said he took this initiative, the first member of a foreign government with the president-elect, “to congratulate our French friends for their victory and establish preliminary contact to continue on the same track of strengthening historical, strong and excellent relations,” between the two countries.
It also marks Morocco’s will to maintain the ongoing political dialogue and to continue dialogue on various issues of common interest between the two countries. It was also an opportunity for the Minister to highlight the “unique and exemplary” partnership between Paris and Rabat who were able to develop and consolidate their bilateral ties, “benefiting each time from internal political developments in both countries.”
For his part, Moscovici reiterated the commitment of the Socialist Party to strengthen the special relationship with Morocco and to foster links between the various political, economic and civil society actors working for the enrichment of cooperation between the two countries.
He saw in the congratulatory message from HM the King to President-elect and the trip of El Otmani a “message of friendship between France and Morocco.”
El Otmani also met with French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, still in office until May 15. The two ministers welcomed the “longstanding, solid and sustainable” relations between the two countries.
