The initiative is an illustration of King Mohammed VI’s pan-African vision, aiming to promote cooperation between African states.
Rabat – King Mohammed VI has decided to send a special aircraft full of medical supplies to assist Mauritania in its COVID-19 response.
Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, informed his Mauritanian counterpart, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, about the decision on Thursday, June 11, via a telephone call, the Mauritanian state press service reported.
The initiative is part of Morocco’s efforts to help fellow African states in their fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the report said.
The Mauritanian FM expressed his satisfaction with the “important” initiative, which comes in “perfect timing” and testifies to the “strength of the remarkable relations between the two countries and the two brotherly peoples.”
Ould Cheikh Ahmed also expressed his happiness for Morocco’s “nearly-complete” control of the national epidemiological situation and wished further progress and prosperity for Moroccans.
During the telephone call, the two FMs also discussed the possibility of Morocco sharing its expertise in epidemiological response with its southern neighbor.
The royal initiative is part of King Mohammed VI’s pan-African vision for African states to cooperate in the face of the pandemic.
On April 13, the King held talks with the President of Cote d’Ivoire, Alassane Dramane Ouattara, and the President of Senegal, Macky Sall.
During the phone conversations, King Mohammed VI proposed an African initiative aimed at establishing an operational framework to accompany African countries in their various phases of managing the pandemic.
“This is a pragmatic and action-oriented initiative, enabling the sharing of experiences and best practices to address the health, economic, and social impact of the pandemic,” said a statement from the royal cabinet.
The King’s proposal earned international praise, with several state leaders and global organizations commending the initiative.
The royal initiative comes one day after the Permanent Ambassador of Morocco at the African Union, Mohamed Arrouchi, called for establishing a platform of African experts on epidemics to consolidate the continent’s response to future health crises.