Saturday, October 5, 2024 at 7:44 p.m.
Brussels – The European Union (EU) and several Member States have expressed their unwavering attachment to the Union’s strategic partnership with Morocco and their desire to further strengthen it, following the decision of the Court of Justice of the EU ( CJEU) on the fishing and agricultural agreements between the EU and the Kingdom.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the High Representative of the European Union, Josep Borrell, set the tone, reaffirming in a joint declaration the EU’s commitment to further conservation and strengthening close relations with Morocco in all areas, in accordance with the principle “pacta sunt servanda”.
This joint declaration, a rare political act which highlights the importance of Morocco and materializes the importance of the EU’s partnership with the Kingdom, reiterates the “great value” that the EU attaches to “its strategic partnership with Morocco, which is long-standing, vast and deep”.
The two officials also noted that the two parties have established, over the years, “a deep friendship and a solid and multifaceted cooperation, which we intend to take to a higher level in the weeks and months to come”.
Several EU countries followed suit, emphasizing the strategic nature of the Morocco-EU partnership.
In Madrid, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, defended the “strategic partnership” with Morocco and the desire to maintain it, while expressing his country’s government’s respect for the CJEU’s decision.
Mr Albares highlighted the importance of the strategic partnership between the EU and Morocco for both parties, as well as the “benefits” it has brought to the fishing and agricultural sectors. He subsequently affirmed that the Spanish government will continue to “work with the EU and Morocco to preserve and continue to develop this privileged relationship”.
For its part, France reaffirmed its unwavering attachment to its exceptional partnership with Morocco and its determination to continue to deepen it.
In a press release, the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs stressed that the relationship between the EU and Morocco is therefore of a strategic nature, affirming that Paris will continue to work with its European partners to strengthen their exchanges, particularly economic, and the preservation of the achievements of the partnership, in compliance with international law.
As the President of the French Republic, Mr. Emmanuel Macron, wrote to His Majesty King Mohammed VI on the occasion of the Throne Day, France remains determined to support Morocco’s efforts in favor of economic development and social security of the Sahara, for the benefit of local populations, specified the Quai d’Orsay.
For its part, Hungary, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, reiterated its constant position in favor of strengthening the strategic partnership between the EU and the Kingdom of Morocco which is “in our common interest”.
“We will continue to work to serve these interests by strengthening ties and expanding cooperation with Morocco to new areas,” the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement, adding that Budapest is studying in detail the judgment of the CJEU concerning the EU-Morocco fishing and agricultural agreements.
Belgium also reiterated its attachment to the strategic partnership between the European Union and Morocco and its commitment to continue working to deepen it, expressing its support for the joint declaration by the President of the European Commission and the High representative of the European Union for this purpose.
“Belgium reiterates its attachment to the friendship and strategic partnership between the EU and Morocco and will continue to work to deepen it,” affirmed the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation on its X account.
On the same wavelength, Italy highlighted the “fundamental” strategic partnership between the EU and Morocco. “The strategic partnership is fundamental between the EU and Morocco, including in the field of agriculture and fishing,” affirmed the Vice-President of the Council of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, on his X account.
“The European Court should take this into account,” underlined the head of Italian diplomacy. “The Italian government, as I will repeat during my visit to Rabat, wants to further strengthen cooperation with Morocco, particularly in the fight against illegal immigration,” he added.
The Netherlands, in turn, reiterated their “firm commitment to the strategic partnership between the EU and Morocco”, stressing that the Netherlands supports the joint declaration of the President of the European Commission and the High Representative of the European Union on the judgments of the CJEU.
In the same vein, Finland reaffirmed its “strong commitment” to the strategic partnership between the EU and Morocco.
Expressing Finland’s support for the joint statement by the President of the European Commission and the High Representative of the EU on the CJEU decision, the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated, on its X account, “strong commitment” of the Nordic country to the “strategic partnership between the EU and Morocco”.
