Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, affirmed, on July 10 in Dakhla, that His Majesty King Mohammed VI ensures that the excellent relations between Morocco and Guinea are translated into tangible achievements and projects.
During the opening of the 7th session of the Morocco-Guinea Joint Cooperation Commission, co-chaired by Bourita and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration, and Guineans Living Abroad, Morissanda Kouyaté, the Moroccan minister recalled the two Royal visits to Conakry in 2014 and 2017, through which Guinea benefited from a large number of royal projects that had been implemented in Africa.
Bourita stressed that, given the potential and opportunities on offer, trade between the two countries “has yet to meet the expectations and aspirations of both peoples,” despite the recent improvement in this sector.
In this regard, Bourita called on Moroccan and Guinean economic stakeholders to seize all opportunities to bridge the gap between this potential and the recorded trade level.
The Moroccan official affirmed that the Kingdom is fully committed to developing a mutually beneficial partnership between the public and private sectors, which will become a model of South-South cooperation in Africa.
Bourita also reiterated Morocco’s commitment to implementing new mechanisms for exchanging expertise in the academic, scientific, and cultural fields between several Moroccan institutions and their Guinean counterparts.
The Moroccan official also extended his thanks to Kouyaté for Guinea’s constant and explicit stance in support of the Kingdom’s territorial integrity, as well as for its ongoing long-standing support for the Moroccanity of the Sahara, recalling that Guinea has always defended international legality and Morocco’s legitimate rights.
Guinea’s position was crowned by the opening of its Consulate General in Dakhla in January 2020.
In a similar context, the Moroccan minister noted that the Guinean government had demonstrated its commitment to implementing the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project through the signing of the tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) in December 2022, underlining that this strategic project embodies the South-South cooperation that African countries are called upon to strengthen, to consolidate the African development model that His Majesty the King has tirelessly advocated.
At the religious level, Bourita shed light on the solid cooperation between Morocco and Guinea, which dates back several centuries, pointing out that the two countries share an Islam based on the Maliki rite, Asha’arite Dogma, and Sunni Sufism.
The Moroccan minister added that on the instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, dozens of Guinean Imams receive training at Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams, Morchidines, and Morchidates.
Bourita also stated that Morocco commends the political transition in Guinea and applauds “the openness, wisdom and clear-sightedness shown by our brothers in this friendly country, which enabled them to place the supreme interests of the nation above all other considerations.”
The Moroccan official voiced, in this regard, his conviction that Guinea, thanks to its leadership, its capabilities, its people’s determination, and the support of its brotherly countries, can move forward in its efforts to “rebuild the State,” reaffirming the Kingdom’s commitment to supporting Guinea in its quest to achieve a successful political transition to establish democratic institutions capable of leading the country towards peace, development, and prosperity.
The Minister also welcomed the recent positive developments in bilateral cooperation, as evidenced by the exchange of working visits by senior officials and experts to discuss and exchange expertise in different fields such as security, health, justice, culture, and education, expressing Morocco’s commitment to strengthening this positive dynamic for the benefit of the two friendly peoples.
In addition, Bourita highlighted the unique nature of the 7th session of the Morocco-Guinea Joint Cooperation Commission, which was held halfway between Rabat and Conakry in the beautiful town of Dakhla, which has always been and will remain a dynamic link between the Moroccan people under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, and the citizens of Africa.
Bourita also extended his deep gratitude to Kouyaté for his commitment to strengthening the exceptional relations uniting Morocco and Guinea, noting that the participation of his Guinean counterpart in the work of this Commission reflects the growing desire to raise cooperation to the level of a strategic partnership, in line with the aspirations of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and President of the Transition, President of the National Committee of Reconciliation and Development (CNRD), Head of State, Commander-in-Chief of the Guinean Armed Forces, His Excellency Colonel Mamady Doumbouya.
The foreign minister stated that the holding of the Morocco-Guinea Joint Cooperation Commission reflects the desire of both countries to instill a new dynamic into bilateral cooperation by strengthening and expanding the legal framework in priority areas to implement concrete, structuring development projects.
Bourita emphasized that the holding of this important meeting is also an opportunity to reinforce political consultation and constant dialogue between Morocco and Guinea and establish an appropriate framework for reflection on the future of Morocco-Guinea relations, affirming that the outcome of this meeting is likely to give new impetus to economic cooperation, through the development of a genuine partnership covering a wide range of initiatives between the public and private sectors.
