Rabat – Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita is preparing to welcome two European Commissioners for discussions of the partnership between Morocco and the EU.
The European Commissioners for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, and Neighborhood and Enlargement Policy, Oliver Varhelyi, are set to arrive in Rabat on Tuesday morning.
Their talks with high-ranking Moroccan officials “will reaffirm the strong partnership” between Morocco and the EU, the EC stated.
The European commissioners intend to discuss areas of common interest and explore new opportunities for cooperation with Morocco, a strategic partner of the EU.
<p>The statement referenced “the new momentum that has been given to the partnership between the European Union and Morocco, since the Association Council in June 2019.”
On June 27, 2019, representatives of the EU and Morocco convened for the Association Council. They signed a joint declaration expressing mutual interest in giving a new impetus to their strategic relationship by developing a true “Euro-Moroccan partnership for shared prosperity.”
The partnership aims to further deepen Morocco-EU relations, strengthen regional and Euro-African cooperation, and support effective multilateralism with a focus on four structural areas.
The structural areas include the convergence of values, economic convergence and social cohesion, shared knowledge, and political and security consultation. The partnership also pursues cooperation in the field of environmental sustainability and climate action, and in the field of mobility and migration.
Johansson’s visit to Rabat notably represents an opportunity for her to visit projects the EU funds in Morocco related to migration and migrant integration.
Like other foreign officials who recently traveled to Morocco, the internal affairs commissioner will also visit the renowned Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams, Morchidines, and Morchidates. The institute is part of Morocco’s efforts to curb the proliferation of extremist ideology by training imams from various countries, particularly from the Sahel region.
A technical visit concerning Moroccan border management activities in Tangier is also on Johansson’s agenda.