Mr. Nasser Bourita: It is time for the AU-EU partnership to undergo a strategic update

“Our partnership should not be reduced to adopting documents and applauding hard-negotiated consensuses. On the contrary, it should measure the progress and commend the projects that have been achieved,” said Mr. Nasser Bourita at the second Ministerial preparatory meeting of the 6th AU-EU Summit.

The Minister added that the strategic nature of the Africa-Europe alliance is born of a shared goal to create a place for conversation and cooperation for security, development, and shared prosperity.

The Moroccan Minister, added that the ultimate goal remains the realization of the framework objectives stated in the Cairo Summit Declarations of April 2000 and the Abidjan Summit Declarations of November 2017.

Mr. Nasser Bourita also pointed out that, while the goals are still important, the collective approach needs to be updated. “We’ve chosen three roadmaps since 2000, but how many have we actually implemented?” he queried, adding that collective action is still too slow to provide tangible results.

The Minister stated that the 6th AU-EU Summit, which is set for next year in Brussels, will be an occasion to give new impetus to the Africa-Europe alliance.

He also praised Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta’s suggestion to establish a Ministerial Monitoring and Implementation Committee to ensure tangible outcomes and effective goal implementation.

According to Mr. Nasser Bourita, by finding and developing initiatives that have an influence on daily life, this committee might help make the AU-EU relationship more visible to the populations of both continents, particularly the youth. “Morocco is eager to participate in this committee and hold its first meeting,”.

Mr. Bourita met today, in Kigali the President of Rwanda, Mr. Paul Kagame whom expressed his deep admiration and friendship for His Majesty King Mohammed VI, and Morocco’s numerous accomplishments.

He also talked about Rwanda’s determination to further strengthen the multisectoral cooperation linking Rabat and Kigali.