On March 26, 2013, the Minister Delegate received the Ambassador of the United Kingdom, Mr. Clive Alderton, for a follow-up discussion, at the Ambassador’s request, concerning the timetable for the Strategic Dialogue. The meeting took place after this Ministry indicated that Morocco was not ready to conclude a Strategic Dialogue immediately. The Minister Delegate argued that, although Morocco wishes to develop strong relations with the United Kingdom, the timetable and substance are not up to the ambitions and expectations of the two countries. The Minister Delegate underlined that the current framework of our discussions could continue to serve as a basis for our fruitful exchanges.
Following the possibility of a date postponement expressed by the Moroccan side, the Ambassador of the United Kingdom wanted to persuade otherwise. The UK Ambassador expressed his understanding of Morocco’s position and concerns, and reaffirmed that the two parties were entering into an equal partnership, and that under no circumstances was the UK putting pressure on Morocco to accept what would not benefit him.
However, the Ambassador believes that April 15 is the ideal date not only to sign cooperation agreements and relaunch the UK-Morocco Business Council, but also to announce the launch of the Strategic Dialogue. It is important for the British side to orchestrate all events at the same time, in order to benefit from full media coverage and visibility, which is difficult to achieve in London.
The context within the UK government is such that any later date for the launch of the Strategic Dialogue would involve a wait of a year to bring together all relevant members. Such a delay would postpone the benefits of such a partnership until later. The UK estimates that 90% of the work needed for the April 15 launch is already in place, requiring minimal preparation from the Moroccan side. The presence, on the British side, of the Deputy Minister of Defense, the Minister of the Interior (Secretary of State for the Interior), as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, is confirmed. An example of a joint press release (see attached document) was presented to the Minister Delegate, in order to illustrate how the ceremony took place from the British point of view. The Ambassador insisted that the important thing lies in the results and outcome of such an announcement of the Strategic Dialogue. London is eager to receive Moroccan views on international affairs that concern both sides, including increased support from the United Kingdom on the Sahara issue.
In response to the United Kingdom’s perseverance in respecting the planned timetable, the Minister Delegate expressed that the time necessary to create a deep and globally inclusive framework which will reflect the exemplary relations which unite the Kingdom of Morocco and the United Kingdom Plain, does not correspond to the proposed calendar. The time constraints of the current calendar do not allow the development of such a substantial framework.
In addition, in-depth internal negotiations and work still need to be carried out on the Moroccan side, in order to ensure coordination between all ministries and parties concerned. This will allow internal cohesion on which to structure future discussions regarding the Strategic Dialogue. Furthermore, after a reading of the Strategic Dialogue proposed by the United Kingdom, the Minister Delegate firmly expressed his disapproval of the wording concerning the axis on the Sahara, which is not compatible with the spirit of the Strategic Dialogue, which must take into account the interests of both countries.
Addressing the subject of discussion on the Sahara issue, the Ambassador emphatically expressed the strengthening of the United Kingdom’s support on the Sahara issue, in light of the considerable progress that Morocco has made on the issue. The CES report was welcomed by the Ambassador as an excellent example of transparency and commitment of Moroccan efforts to achieve a permanent and mutually accepted solution to the dispute. The Ambassador also mentioned the points raised during his lunch with the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for the Sahara, Christopher Ross. Questions of governance and the importance of maintaining Morocco/Algeria contact were raised. The Minister Delegate wanted to clarify that no Governance subject was discussed during the last meeting held in Rabat with Christopher Ross.
-In light of the friendship that unites the two countries, the Ambassador of the United Kingdom warned the Minister Delegate against the ‘negative’ and ‘undesirable’ impact of poor media coverage concerning Morocco and the Sahara can have on international opinion. This warning came after the incident which saw the refoulement of certain European deputies who wanted to enter Moroccan territory, thus preventing them from visiting the city of Laâyoune. In response to this incident, the Minister Delegate explained that the European deputies concerned had a known pre-established political agenda which was hostile to the Moroccan position and the Sahara question, and that their presence on the ground would only have led to an additional ‘instrumentalization’ of the question. Furthermore, the Minister Delegate reiterated that the Kingdom of Morocco remains open and willing to welcome any future visit, thus confirming its position of promoting transparency and freedom.
Many thanks and great gratitude were expressed by the Minister Delegate, who considers this act as a sign of true friendship.
Both the Minister Delegate and the Ambassador reaffirmed the great friendship between the two countries, and the desire of both parties to work together and closely to elevate this relationship to higher levels and standards.
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