The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, underlined that Morocco-Ghana relations have seen a "very positive" dynamic and significant progress since King Mohammed VI's historic visit in February 2017.
Following their meeting on Thursday in Rabat, Bourita held a joint press briefing with his Ghanaian counterpart, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, stating that the talks focused on the implementation of the shared vision of the two leaders, the King and Ghana's President, to elevate bilateral relations through concrete measures.
In this context, the Minister emphasized the need to revive cooperation mechanisms between the two countries, particularly the Joint Commission, which has not convened since 2015, noting that both sides agreed to convene it in the near future.
During this meeting, a memorandum of understanding on political consultations was also signed, aimed at strengthening diplomatic coordination and interaction between the two countries, he added.
Bourita further stated that the meeting also addressed the need to give new momentum to bilateral economic relations, which remain below the potential of the two economies.
He noted that he and his Ghanaian counterpart agreed to hold a Morocco-Ghana Economic Forum and to pay special attention to cooperation in the areas of fertilizers and food security.
Regarding the facilitation of travel for citizens of both countries, the Minister announced that a "travel authorization" mechanism is going to be implemented as a step toward negotiating and signing a final agreement to waive visa requirements between Morocco and Ghana. This measure is expected to take effect in the coming days, according to him.
Moreover, Bourita highlighted Ghana's central role as a pillar of stability in the Sahel region, noting the convergence of views between His Majesty the King and the President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, on the need to enhance stability in this region through a development-based approach.
After underscoring Ghana’s key role within the African Union, the Minister stated that the meeting also addressed the importance of coordination between the two countries within African regional organizations.
He also emphasized the importance of Ghana’s participation in royal initiatives, notably the Atlantic African States Process and the Africa-Atlantic Gas Pipeline project.
On this occasion, Bourita welcomed the positive evolution of Ghana’s position on the issue of the Kingdom’s territorial integrity, as noted in the joint communiqué released following the meeting.
The Minister welcomed the important visit of the Ghanaian Minister to Morocco, expressing hope that future visits will help expand the areas of cooperation and partnership between the two countries.
