Rabat – Morocco’s Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita held talks through a videoconference with his Gambian counterpart Mamadou Tangara on Tuesday.
The talks focused on the means to foster bilateral cooperation in the fields of renewable energy, agriculture, infrastructure, training, water, education, and exchanging experience in water management and dam construction.
Meanwhile, Bourita ensured Tangara of Morocco’s eagerness to share its know-how in the fields of economic and social development with the Republic of the Gambia for the achievement of its 2018-2021 development plan.
The two foreign ministers agreed to schedule the third Session of the Joint Commission for Cooperation and an Economic Forum in Banjul. The date is yet to be determined.
The Gambian Foreign Minister expressed his gratitude to Bourita for Morocco’s scholarship offer to African countries. Tangara said that the scholarships have contributed to the development of human capital.
Also, both ministers also discussed the possibility of increasing the quota to accommodate more Gambian youths.
Morocco’s Ministry of Higher Education is offering 303 fully-funded scholarships for African students across 119 specialties. There are 11 Moroccan private and public universities involved in the program.
In addition, Tangara reiterated his country’s steadfast support for both Morocco’s territorial integrity and the Autonomy Plan proposal, deeming it credible.
The meeting culminated in expressing mutual interest in advancing both countries’ strategic communication and coordination in international scenes including the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) as well as coordinating actions at the level of their permanent representatives in New York, Geneva, and the AU.
Relations between Morocco and Gambia are seen as excellent and are maintained through several cooperation agreements.
The West African country was the second state to open a consulate in Dakhla in January 2020. The opening of Gambia’s diplomatic representation in Westen Sahara demonstrates the two countries’ strong ties.
Following the inauguration of the Gambian consulate, the West African country’s foreign minister paid two visits to Morocco in less than four months.
Tangara paid the first visit in November 2020 when he met with Bourita. The meeting resulted in signing two cooperation agreements in the fields of health and diplomatic training.
The second visit dates back to February 18, when he conveyed a message from Gambia’s President, Adama Barrow, to King Mohammed VI.
In recent months, Bourita conducted a series of meeting through videoconference with a number of Foreign Affairs Ministers from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
The meetings focused on regional issues, Western Sahara, and Morocco’s pioneer role in promoting peace in the region, as well as its crucial role in the Libyan file.
The most crucial meeting was with the Arab foreign affairs ministers when Bourita extensively spoke about the internal and external dangers dividing Arab countries.
During the high-level multilateral discussions, Bourita called for the mobilization of a united Arab front to tackle the regional challenges, including foreign and domestic attempts at political destabilization.
