“This visit to Italy is part of His Majesty King Mohammed VI’s policy to diversify and strengthen partnerships within Europe and the EU, and to consolidate ties with credible European powers,” Bourita told the press, following talks with Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic.
Relations between Morocco and Italy are “traditionally strong” and based on “fruitful” cooperation in all fields, the Minister stressed.
The meeting with the Head of Italian Diplomacy was an opportunity to sign an Action Plan for the implementation of the multidimensional strategic partnership, to be signed in 2019, he said, adding that this action plan sets four priorities for Morocco-Italy relations over the next few years, namely strengthening political dialogue on regional issues in Africa, the Middle East and the Mediterranean, consolidating economic and cultural cooperation, reinforcing security coordination and creating a consultation mechanism on immigration and consular affairs.
Tajani will shortly be visiting Morocco to discuss concrete action on the four priorities set out in the action plan, said Bourita.
In the same vein, the Minister recalled that Italy, a key player in the Mediterranean, aspires to establish itself as an important player in Africa, noting that Morocco, thanks to the vision of His Majesty the King, is an influential player on the African continent.
“Italy is keen to work in Africa with Morocco, which it considers to be a key player in the Mediterranean region, thanks to its stability and the initiatives it is undertaking, on the instructions of His Majesty the King, in various fields,” said the Moroccan top diplomat.
Describing the economic partnership between the two countries as “promising”, Bourita pointed out that Italy is one of Morocco’s top ten trading partners, with 200 Italian companies operating in the Kingdom in a wide range of sectors.
“Today, we are working on setting up a Business Council to develop a shared vision between Morocco and Italy to work together in Africa and pool their efforts in this direction,” he said.
Bourita also spoke of his meetings earlier in the day with the Speaker of the Italian Chamber of Deputies and the Chairman of the European Union Policy Committee in the Italian Senate, who, according to the Minister, expressed their willingness to work with Morocco and their desire for the Kingdom to be a “principal partner” of Italy in the Mediterranean, North Africa and the continent in general.
According to the Minister, this is a “strong signal” from a European power, attesting to the Kingdom’s credibility and “recognition of the role of Morocco and HM the King as a key player in its Arab, African and Mediterranean environment.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates paid a working visit to Italy on Wednesday, July 5, at the invitation of his Italian counterpart, Antonio Tajani.
This was Bourita’s first visit to Italy following Tajani’s appointment in October 2022 as Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic.
