At a press briefing following their talks, they emphasized the importance of the joint declaration, signed in December 2021 in Berne, as a roadmap for strengthening these bilateral relations in all areas.
In this respect, Cassis stressed that today’s visit was an ideal opportunity to take stock of this bilateral cooperation following the signing of the joint declaration which, beyond its symbolic role in marking the centenary of bilateral relations, was intended to be productive and rich in results.
He also highlighted the deep-rooted friendship linking the two countries, which is “solid and more than a century old”, since two years ago in Berne, Morocco and Switzerland celebrated the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations (100 years since the opening of the first Swiss embassy in Morocco), reiterating his country’s desire to further deepen relations with the Kingdom.
Describing this assessment as “very positive”, he noted that over the past 18 months, the two countries had signed a climate cooperation agreement, on the sidelines of the COP 27 Climate Conference, held in Sharm El Sheikh in 2022. Similarly, a memorandum of understanding on education and research has been adopted, in addition to the creation of a Moroccan-Swiss parliamentary friendship group, which will strengthen exchanges between the two countries.
“Morocco plays an important role on the international and multilateral scene, such as within the UN and the Human Rights Council”, stressed the Swiss official, adding that in such a short time the two countries have succeeded in developing stable, growing and productive bilateral cooperation, which will enable them to meet regional and geopolitical challenges.
For his part, Bourita praised the strength of bilateral relations, described as “excellent and promising”, marked by a very positive dynamic, noting that this visit would further promote the partnership between the two countries and raise it to a higher level.
“Since the adoption of the joint declaration, there has been a very positive synergy which has given a new impetus to Moroccan-Swiss cooperation”, the minister said, expressing the Kingdom’s satisfaction with the way in which the commitments mentioned in the declaration have been implemented.
“His Majesty King Mohammed VI attaches great importance to diversifying the Kingdom’s partnerships with all countries, particularly within Europe,” he stressed, adding that the strengthening of relations with Switzerland is in line with the implementation of Royal Directives.
On this occasion, the two ministers noted with satisfaction the strengthening of political dialogue, marked by regular consultations and exchanges of visits on both sides, while welcoming the close collaboration between the two countries in the field of migration.
Bourita and Cassis also stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation in the university and scientific research fields, in particular by promoting the mobility of students, teaching staff and administrative and technical executives.
They also praised the excellent collaboration between the two countries at multilateral level, notably in the context of Switzerland’s mandate on the United Nations Security Council (2023/2024), and Morocco’s mandate on the Human Rights Council (2023/2025).
