“The Morocco-EU partnership is defended by actions and not words,” says Nasser Bourita to Oliver Varhelyi

«The partnership with the European Union has arrived at a pivotal time”, which requires “confirmation of the EU’s commitment to this partnership through actions beyond verbal expressions», declared Nasser Bourita at the end of his meetings, this Monday, November 25 in Rabat, with the European Commissioner in charge of Neighborhood and Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, who is making a working visit to Morocco.

«Everything that is said in European capitals about the importance of the European Union’s partnership with Morocco must be translated into concrete actions and solutions in the face of provocations and harassment.», which take political and legal forms and which attempt to harm this partnership, explained the senior government official to his European interlocutor.

«Today, Morocco expects the European Union to say how it intends to deal with provocations. Morocco expects the EU to send signals and material proposals which reflect its attachment to this partnership and which respond to the challenges that arise.», insisted Nasser Bourita before reaffirming the position of Morocco expressed by King Mohammed VI in his speech on November 6. The Sovereign then recalled that he “would notcan be a partnership to the detriment of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Kingdom of Morocco».

And to add that the country is “fully committed to its partnership with the EU. Today the ball is in the EU’s court“, he continued. “As much as Morocco is committed to this partnership, it asks its European partners to translate this commitment into action..»

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For his part, the European Commissioner thanked the minister for the success of the joint work carried out in favor of both parties. Responding to requests from Nasser Bourita, Olivier Varhelyi declared: “We are still with you, because the problem you mentioned does not only arise for Morocco, it is also valid for the EU. We must find a common solution and that is why I booked my last visit to Morocco to be sure that there will be a solution.»

The EU, he said, expressed “clearly» that she is “attached to the achievements and would like not only to save this partnership, but also to expand it», concluded the European official, recalling that the EU has injected, in recent years, more than 5 billion euros into a program to develop the national economy. On the same day of Monday, November 25, the European Commissioner will have meetings with Fouzi Lekjaa, Minister Delegate in charge of the Budget for a financing agreement of 190 million euros in favor of the reconstruction of part of the region of El Haouz affected by the earthquake of December 2023.