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The Kingdom of Bahrain opened today, December 14, a consulate general in Laayoune, southern Morocco.
Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita co-chaired the inauguration ceremony with his Bahraini counterpart, Abdullatif Al Zayani.
Bahrain’s new diplomatic representation is located in Laayoune’s growing diplomatic district, which now hosts 10 foreign consulates. The Bahraini consulate is next to the Gabonese consulate and across from the Emirati consulate.
Bahrain initially announced its intention to inaugurate a consulate general in Laayoune on November 26.
King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain informed King Mohammed VI of his decision during a phone call and made his commitment official yesterday with a royal decree.
Read also: Bahrain to Open Consulate General in Morocco’s Laayoune
Bahrain’s decision came soon after Morocco lifted a blockade by the separatist Polisario Front at the Guerguerat crossing point, near the Moroccan-Mauritanian border.
The Arab country was among the first states that declared solidarity with Morocco for its decision to lift the blockade.
Today’s inauguration affirms Bahrain’s support for Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.
Bahrain is now the second Middle Eastern country, after the UAE, to open a diplomatic representation in Laayoune to support Morocco’s territorial integrity.
Jordan is also set to soon open a consulate general in the region. The Arab country announced its decision on November 19.
In total, 20 countries have opened or announced plans to open diplomatic representations in Laayoune and Dakhla, southern Morocco.
Laayoune’s diplomatic district now hosts consulates general of Comoros, Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe, the Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Burundi, Eswatini, Zambia, the UAE, and Bahrain.
Meanwhile, Dakhla hosts consuls from The Gambia, Guinea, Djibouti, Liberia, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, and Haiti.
Future openings include a Jordanian consulate general in Laayoune and a US consulate general in Dakhla.
