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Morocco and Zambia expressed, here Friday, their shared desire to make the bilateral partnership an exceptional model of intra-African cooperation, based on the values of solidarity, exchange and sharing.
In a Joint Communiqué published following talks between Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, and Zambian Minister of Justice, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mulambo Haimbe, the two officials welcomed the “strong ties of fraternity, solidarity, support and understanding between Moroccan and Zambian people and the existing mutual respect between His Majesty the King Mohammed VI, and His Brother, His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema, as well as the shared desire to make the bilateral partnership an exceptional model of intra-African cooperation, based on the values of solidarity, exchange and sharing”.
The two sides also expressed satisfaction at the steady pace of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.
Both Ministers exalted the Visit of His Majesty the King, May God Assist Him, to Zambia in February 2017, that gave a strong boost to Moroccan-Zambian relations, underlining that this Royal Visit was an opportunity for the two countries to further consolidate their political relations and to diversify and enrich their economic and commercial cooperation.
Bourita underlined that Morocco sincerely wishes to put in place a constructive and a deep political dialogue with Zambia, welcoming the convergence of visions of both sides on issues of common interest, marked by a common commitment to peace, stability, respect for sovereignty of States and democracy in Africa and in the world.
Both Ministers highlighted the important economic potential offered by the two countries, reaffirming their unwavering commitment to develop their mutually beneficial economic partnership, and to increase two-way trade to a satisfactory level.
In this regard, they agreed to create a more enabling environment for mutual investment and to encourage the business communities of both countries to fully explore and take advantage of the opportunities offered by their growing markets and expanding infrastructure.
Both sides also reiterated the importance of the Joint Permanent Commission for Cooperation (JPCC) as a key mechanism to strengthen ongoing collaboration between the two countries and acknowledged the necessity of holding it regularly.
In this regard, both sides agreed to hold, in Lâayoune, during the last quarter of 2024, the first session of the JPCC, that will among other sectors, mining-critical minerals and battery electric vehicle value chain; agriculture, food security, horticulture and precise irrigation, as Morocco is the leading producer of Phosphate fertilizers and has major programmes with a number of African countries; security cooperation, intelligence and security cooperation; trade calling for the creation of Trade alliances within the context of the AU Continental Free Trade Agreement (CFTA); education and academic and professional training.
At the multilateral level, both sides called for the development of a high-level joint political dialogue and stressed the importance of intensifying their contacts with the aim of further harmonizing their positions within regional, continental, multilateral and international institutions, such as the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN).
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