Morocco’s FM Deems Morocco-Iraq Relations ‘Privileged and Very Solid’

Relations between Morocco and Iraq are “privileged and very solid”, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita said in Rabat on Monday. At a press briefing following his talks with National Security Advisor of the Republic of Iraq Qassem Al-Araji, the Minister stated that the meeting was an opportunity “to convey the esteem in which His Majesty King Mohammed VI holds Iraqi authorities, and to congratulate Iraq on all achievements in recent years in terms of stability and development thanks to its leadership and its people”, adding that Iraq has made significant progress in regaining its security and stability, establishing sovereignty over its entire territory and preserving the unity of its people. He recalled that “Moroccans never forgot that Iraq was the first Arab country to recognize Morocco’s independence in 1956, and that the Iraqi flag was present alongside the Moroccan flag during the Green March in 1975”. Bourita also highlighted the mechanisms governing bilateral relations, notably political dialogue and the Joint Commission, which will be utilized to capitalize on the many opportunities offered by relations between the two countries, still untapped in the fields of trade, investment and tourism.  Discussions also covered a number of regional issues, notably the situation in Syria, Palestine and Lebanon, he noted, stressing the convergence of views between the two parties on all these questions. Bourita noted that the forthcoming Arab Summit in Iraq would provide an opportunity to address all these issues, underlining Morocco’s support for all Iraq’s preparations to ensure the success of the summit, both in terms of organization and conclusions, as “the Arab world is going through a crucial period, and the Baghdad summit will be a key step in supporting these transformations”.