Rabat – Speaking before the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Morocco’s Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch reiterated the country’s support for the Palestinian cause and achieving peace in Libya.
Akhannouch recalled Morocco’s position expressed in late 2020, which called for a solution based on the two-state solution and within international agreements, while stressing the importance of negotiations between Palestinian and Israeli parties.
King Mohammed VI, who chairs the Al-Quds Committee, “will spare no effort to preserve the historical and ancestral identity of the Holy City as a land of coexistence and peace,” Akahnnouch said.
He pointed to Morocco’s recent mediation efforts, which helped facilitate the opening of the Allenby/King Hussein border crossing, which finally gave Palestinians reliable access to Jordan and its international airport near the border crossing.
Since re-establishing diplomatic relations with Israel in late 2020, Morocco has been walking the tightrope of balancing ties with Israel with its long-standing support for the Palestinian cause.
The ties with Israel remain a subject of contention within Morocco, especially following the recent sexual harrassment scandal embroiling Israel’s diplomatic mission in Rabat.
Akhannouch also addressed the Libya crisis during his speech, saying that Morocco will continue to seek a peaceful resolution in the country, “based on the shared history and destiny” of the two North African countries.
“Morocco remains convinced that the crisis in Libya can only be solved by Libyans themselves, without foreign intervention or agenda,” Akhannouch said, welcoming the appointment of Abdoulaye Bathily as the new UN Special Representative in Libya.
Morocco recently facilitated a consensus on Libya’s presidency at the League of Arab States. The country has been operating with two governments in seemingly perpetual political deadlock, with Abdul Hamid Dbeibah’s Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli continuing to be backed by the UN.
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