Marrakech – The Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Kao Kim Hourn, expressed his “indefectible” support for Morocco’s sovereignty and territorial integrity during his visit to Rabat on Tuesday.
This position was documented in a joint statement released after his meeting with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita.
During their meeting, both officials reaffirmed “their unwavering support for the principles of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), including respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of UN member states, including ASEAN member states and Morocco, as well as non-interference in internal affairs and peaceful settlement of disputes.”
Kao, who is making his first visit to Morocco and Africa, also praised the leadership of King Mohammed VI for promoting the North African country’s socio-economic development and voiced appreciation for the monarch’s initiatives for the continent.
He specifically noted with admiration the Atlantic initiatives launched by the Moroccan sovereign, including the Initiative to provide Atlantic Ocean access to Sahel states, the Atlantic African Gas Pipeline, and the Initiative of Atlantic African States.
In this regard, Morocco’s Dakhla Atlantic Port project, scheduled to be operational by 2029, aims to provide the landlocked countries with improved maritime access to global markets and serves as a cornerstone of this strategy.
As part of the same vision, the Atlantic African Gas Pipeline is a proposed $25 billion project to transport natural gas from Nigeria to Morocco and potentially onward to Europe. Spanning over 6,000 kilometers and connecting 13 countries along the Atlantic coast, the pipeline is expected to supply energy to approximately 400 million people across West Africa.
The ASEAN Secretary-General commended Morocco’s major socio-economic and infrastructure advances and successful reforms. He pointed out that “Morocco’s numerous assets make it an attractive platform for trade and investment from ASEAN governments and business communities.”
Bourita stressed that strengthening relations between Rabat and ASEAN is part of King Mohammed VI’s strategic vision to diversify Morocco’s partners and promote strong, supportive South-South cooperation.
He reiterated Morocco’s readiness to support and collaborate with ASEAN in numerous sectors through a win-win approach, both with the organization and all its member states.
The Foreign Minister thanked Kao and, through him, the member states of ASEAN, for their support of Morocco’s obtaining sectoral dialogue partner status with ASEAN in September 2023.
Both officials welcomed the second meeting of the ASEAN-Morocco Joint Sectoral Cooperation Committee (AM-JSCC) held in Jakarta on November 27, 2024, with the third session scheduled for November 2025.
They drew attention to the importance of training programs offered by the Moroccan Institute for Training, Research and Diplomatic Studies (IMFRED) to diplomats from ASEAN member states and the ASEAN Secretariat.
They also recognized the fruitful cooperation programs between ASEAN member states and Morocco through the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI) for ASEAN member states and African countries.
Kao and Bourita agreed that Morocco offers an important gateway to Africa for ASEAN member states, while ASEAN represents a real opportunity for Morocco to develop and open up to increased economic cooperation with the region in particular and with Asia as a whole.
The ASEAN Secretary-General is making a working visit to Morocco from June 24 to 26 at Bourita’s invitation. Founded in 1967, the regional organization comprises 10 Southeast Asian countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Brunei-Darussalam, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia.
