Assahafa.com
The Kingdom of Eswatini and the Kingdom of Morocco have taken “a major step in strengthening their diplomatic and development partnership” following the first-ever session of the Joint Cooperation Commission, held Wednesday in Rabat, the newspaper Independentnews Eswatini wrote.
The high-level session, co-chaired by Eswatini’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Pholile Shakantu, and her Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, “marks an important milestone in relations between the two Kingdoms,” which established official diplomatic ties in 1996, the newspaper stressed.
During the meeting, the publication added, the two ministers signed a joint communiqué outlining a detailed roadmap for cooperation between 2026 and 2028, specifying that the agreement covers several sectors, notably education and training, technical cooperation, economic promotion, international financing, and diplomatic exchanges.
Among the key outcomes, the newspaper cites the signing of a visa exemption for holders of service and diplomatic passports, a measure expected to facilitate government-to-government interactions and support regional mobility objectives.
The two countries also agreed on a diplomatic training program that will allow young emaSwati diplomats to attend short courses in Morocco focusing on learning French and Arabic, the same source added, noting that this initiative aims to strengthen the capacity of Eswatini’s foreign service and broaden its international engagement.
In the legal field, cooperation between the Ministries of Justice will seek to reinforce the legal framework and improve access to justice in both countries.
Highlighting that youth and sports development was also central to the discussions, the newspaper reports that Minister Shakantu invited the Moroccan side to help train young emaSwati footballers through technical exchanges and capacity-building programs.
She congratulated Morocco on its recent success at the Under-20 World Cup and wished the team good luck for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.
The two governments also committed to strengthening tourism cooperation by training local managers, trainers and operators to raise service standards within Eswatini’s hospitality industry.
The publication added that, under this broader roadmap, Morocco committed to continuing support for Eswatini’s development efforts through sponsoring emaSwati for studies and learning visits, as well as facilitating resource mobilization for key and strategic infrastructure projects aimed at boosting national growth.
The holding of the first session of the Morocco-Eswatini Joint Commission provided an opportunity for the two ministers to sign minutes of the meeting, a Joint Communiqué, a roadmap, and five cooperation agreements covering various fields, including youth, justice, diplomatic visa exemption, diplomatic training, and tourism.
The two officials also reaffirmed their willingness to continue working together to establish a dense, multidimensional partnership aligned with the shared vision of the Heads of State of both countries, His Majesty King Mohammed VI and His Majesty King Mswati III.
Source: map
