Chile is among Morocco’s key allies in South America.
Rabat – Chile’s Ambassador to Morocco, Alex Geiger Soffia, paid Morocco’s Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani a courtesy visit on Wednesday, July 22.
The visit came on the eve of Geiger Soffia’s departure after spending five years at the head of Chile’s diplomatic mission to Morocco.
During the visit, El Othmani welcomed the quality of bilateral relations between Chile and Morocco.
“The distinguished relations anchor in history and continuously improve,” he said.
El Othmani stressed that Morocco has enjoyed positive relations with Chile since the early 1960s.
“Our relations are rooted in history and are developing thanks to the mutual respect between the two countries,” he added.
The head of government called for innovation in terms of Chile-Morocco cooperation, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its repercussions.
“It is important to have a common reflection for the post-pandemic phase. The world has endured considerable human, material, economic, and social losses,” El Othmani said.
The Moroccan official also commended the work of the Chilean ambassador during his stay in Morocco, wishing him success.
Geiger Soffia, meanwhile, applauded the reforms that Morocco has undertaken over the past two decades.
The Chilean diplomat expressed his wish to see bilateral cooperation grow. Economy, trade, and investment should “rise to the level of political relations” between Rabat and Santiago, he said.
Geiger Soffia also reiterated Chile’s position regarding the Western Sahara conflict, affirming his country’s ongoing support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan.
The diplomat then stressed the need to define a clear vision of the actions needed to encourage trade between Chile and Morocco in the coming years. The two countries will celebrate the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year.
Important ally
The visit is the latest in a series of meetings that Geiger Soffia shared with Moroccan officials.
On July 15, during a meeting with the Speaker of Morocco’s House of Representatives, Habib El Malki, Geiger Soffia stressed that “Morocco is a very important country for Chile.”
The Chilean ambassador also expressed satisfaction with the agreement signed between the two countries’ parliaments on February 17. The agreement aims to establish a dialogue mechanism between the two institutions.
The February 17 agreement also coincided with the reiteration of Chile’s support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan in Western Sahara.
The Speaker of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies, Ivan Flores, said Chile officially supports the Autonomy Plan.
Chile is one of Morocco’s most important South American allies in the Western Sahara conflict.
On January 9, 2018, the Chilean Senate adopted a resolution in support of Morocco’s Autonomy Plan. The resolution calls on the government of Chile to support the UN-led political process in Western Sahara. It also highlights the “pre-eminence” of Morocco’s autonomy initiative.
Chile’s President, Sebastian Pinera, also affirmed his country’s support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan on June 14, 2019.
