European Council Reaffirms ‘Great Value’ of Strategic Partnership with Morocco, Stresses Need to Consolidate It

The European Council, which brings together the heads of State and government of the 27 member States of the European Union (EU), reaffirmed at a summit in Brussels on Friday the “great value” the EU attaches to its strategic partnership with Morocco. The European Council also reiterated the need to preserve and consolidate close ties with the Kingdom in all areas of the Morocco-EU partnership. This is the third time since the ECJ ruling two weeks ago that the EU has reaffirmed this commitment at the highest level. Indeed, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the EU High Representative, Josep Borrell, had reaffirmed, in a joint declaration, the European bloc’s commitment to further preserving and strengthening close relations with Morocco in all areas, in line with the “pacta sunt servanda” principle. This commitment was reiterated this week by the EU’s Head of Diplomacy, who chaired the EU Foreign Affairs Council, stressing the “immense value” the EU attaches to the strategic partnership with Morocco.