Morocco and Visegrád Group determined to give their collaboration a boost as they face common challenges
Morocco and the Visegrád “V4” Group (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia) expressed their “strong determination” to provide new impetus to their collaboration to address common issues on Tuesday during the inaugural “V4 + Morocco” ministerial conference.
“Morocco and its partners within the Visegrád Group have a strong determination to strengthen their cooperation to face common challenges, particularly in the fight against terrorism, illegal immigration and cross-border organized crime”, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita, during a press conference following this meeting.
Mr. Bourita emphasized on this event the exciting prospects for collaboration between the two parties, as well as the potential for expanding it to new areas by enhancing Morocco’s potential as a gateway to the African continent and the Visegrád Group’s potential as a platform to Central and Eastern Europe.
He also emphasized Morocco’s assets as a regional stabilizing force, as well as its strong commitment to the African continent’s growth and development in order to become a “credible and responsible” partner for the V4.
“We will work tirelessly to develop triangular cooperation initiatives between the Visegrád Group and Morocco in favor of Africa,” said Mr. Bourita, It is worth emphasizing that the Kingdom and the V4 countries share the same belief about the necessity to diversify alliances in order to face the many current problems.
1/2 🇨🇿🇲🇦Bylo mi potěšením setkat se s ministrem #NasserBourita. 🇲🇦 je klíčovým partnerem při řešení některých z největších výzev, kterým čelíme – od nelegální migrace až po terorismus. Jsou zde také velké příležitosti pro prohlubování obchodní spolupráce. @ed_mzvcr @Marocdiplo_EN pic.twitter.com/wis0D5Dukl
— Jakub Kulhanek (@JakubKulhanek) December 6, 2021
The official, who emphasized Morocco’s importance to partnerships with the Visegrád Group, both bilaterally and to strengthen Morocco’s partnership with the EU, expressed hope that the two sides’ shared desire to strengthen cooperation relations translate into “concrete initiatives and programs in the service of our common interests.”
The Foreign Ministers of the Visegrád Group member countries, for their part, welcomed the inaugural “V4 + Morocco” ministerial meeting, emphasizing the importance of continuing and strengthening this robust, significant, and enriching discussion through operational channels.
They were also unanimous in their gratitude for Morocco’s role as a supplier of peace and stability in the region, as well as its significant efforts in the areas of security and counter-terrorism.
The V4 ministers also emphasized Morocco’s critical role in combating illicit immigration.
In this regard, they emphasized the importance of the European Union providing additional assistance to the Kingdom in terms of border control as well as boosting its capacities in the fight against irregular immigration.
The foreign ministers of the V4 countries also lauded HM King Mohammed VI’s leadership and dedication to promoting the ideals of peace, stability, and coexistence.
They underlined the Visegrád Group’s commitment to protecting Morocco’s interests within the EU, expressing their dedication to Morocco’s status as a key partner of the European Union.
The V4 Ministers also stated that the European Union must provide direct and meaningful assistance to Morocco in its development efforts, repeating their support for the EU Council’s application to the CJEU to rescind the European Court’s judgements on agriculture and fisheries agreements with Morocco.
On the day before the meeting of V4 and Morocco foreign ministers, 🇵🇱 FM @RauZbigniew met in Budapest with 🇲🇦 FM Nasser Bourita.
The meeting focused on bilateral relations in political, economic and cultural-scientific dimensions. pic.twitter.com/Pe3hqqaBTc
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs 🇵🇱 (@PolandMFA) December 6, 2021
The Visegrád Group (V4), which has succeeded in establishing itself as a significant coalition inside the EU, occasionally broadens its work to other partners through so-called “V4 Plus” formats, depending on the Group’s presidency’s European and international goals.
The Hungarian presidency of the Visegrád Group for the term 2021-2022 prioritizes expanding cooperation with Morocco as well as the successful implementation of ongoing cooperative projects with the Kingdom.