Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, said that Morocco and Bahrain will work to consolidate and further develop each other’s initiatives during their respective terms on the United Nations Security Council, highlighting a coordinated approach aimed at ensuring four continuous years of presence for the two kingdoms within the body.
Speaking at a joint press conference alongside Bahrain’s Foreign Minister, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, following the 6th session of the Morocco–Bahrain High Joint Commission held in Laayoune, Bourita described the meeting as carrying “strong symbolic significance.” He noted that it was the first time Morocco had convened a joint commission with an Arab country in its Southern Provinces, a move he said reflects the depth of brotherly ties and the longstanding solidarity between Rabat and Manama under the leadership of King Mohammed VI and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
Bourita recalled that the joint commission, established 25 years ago, has gained increased regularity in recent years, now meeting every two to two and a half years. He emphasized that bilateral relations rest on a solid foundation shaped by close ties between the two monarchs and their peoples, as well as a shared strategic vision spanning the short, medium, and long term.
On political matters, the minister underlined that relations between Morocco and Bahrain are built on “absolute solidarity,” pointing to Bahrain’s consistent support for Morocco’s position on the Sahara issue. He noted that the Bahraini monarch had personally informed King Mohammed VI of his country’s intention to open a consulate in the Moroccan Sahara. In return, Bourita said, Morocco has always ensured unwavering support for Bahrain regarding its own decisive causes.
The two countries, he added, also maintain aligned positions on regional issues, particularly the Palestinian question. Bourita stressed that their stance is grounded in concrete principles rather than rhetoric, reaffirming support for the two-state solution and the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital on the 1967 borders, alongside practical and continuous efforts to serve the Palestinian cause within existing constraints.
Highlighting diplomatic coordination, Bourita said Bahrain is among the countries with which Morocco holds ongoing consultations on all issues. He cited as an example the arrangement enabling both nations to secure a combined four-year presence on the UN Security Council — two years for Bahrain followed by two years for Morocco — which he described as “not two plus two, but four continuous years” for the Kingdom of Morocco. He explained that initiatives launched by Bahrain during its term would be strengthened and expanded by Morocco during its own tenure, and vice versa.
At the bilateral economic level, Bourita acknowledged that trade relations have yet to match the strength of political ties or the ambitions of the two monarchs. He said the priority now is to enhance economic exchange, with governments tasked with creating the appropriate framework and encouraging private-sector engagement to translate political goodwill into tangible economic cooperation.
