Morocco, Sierra Leone Seek to Steer Ties towards Future of Shared Prosperity – Joint Communiqué –

The Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Sierra Leone expressed their desire to steer bilateral relations towards a future of shared prosperity and pledged to strengthen bilateral cooperation in several sectors deemed priorities by the Sierra Leonean side, including agriculture, fertilizers, investment, water and tourism. In a joint communiqué issued at the end of the third session for the Joint Commission of Cooperation between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Sierra Leone, held in Dakhla under the co-chairmanship of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, and the Sierra Leonese Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, David J. Francis, both parties expressed satisfaction at the progress made in various areas of cooperation since the last session of the Mixed Commission for the Joint Cooperation held in 2008, and in the implementation of the ambitious Roadmap of Cooperation between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Sierra Leone for the period 2022-2024. The parties noted with satisfaction that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, trade between the two countries almost doubled between 2019 and 2021, reads the joint communiqué, stressing that they however shared the opinion that bilateral trade does not reflect the potential of their countries, and decided to take the necessary steps to expand the parameters of their economic and investment cooperation. To this end, they agreed to encourage their business communities and investors to fully explore the possibilities offered by their growing markets. Furthermore, Bourita welcomed the momentum of support and mutual consultations characterizing relations between the two brotherly countries at the level of regional and international bodies and agreed with his Sierra Leonean counterpart to continue to defend their respective fundamental interests, stresses the communiqué. On peace and security issues, both ministers noted with concern the persistence of many hotbeds of tension and terrorism, which remain the most important sources of instability in the continent, the document adds. It further notes that the two officials reiterated their firm resolve to work together with relevant parties to fight this scourge in an effective manner, and to facilitate the resolution of disputes in Africa through dialogue, and in accordance with international law. The two sides agreed to mutually support, as appropriate, the Moroccan and Sierra Leonean bids at the level of regional and international cooperation mechanisms, the same source indicates. In this respect, Francis extended Sierra Leone’s strong support for Morocco’s candidature for a non-permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the term 2028-2029. Bourita, for his part, reiterated Morocco’s support for the candidature of Sierra Leone to serve on the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member for the year 2024-2025. The two Parties expressed their satisfaction with the results of the Third Session of the Joint Commission for Moroccan-Sierra Leonean Cooperation, which took place in a warm and constructive atmosphere, reflecting the close ties of friendship and solidarity between the two countries. They have also welcomed the signature of 13 instruments covering multiple fields of bilateral cooperation.