Signed by Foreign Minister, Taib Fassi Fihri, and his visiting Dutch counterpart, Maxime Verhagen, the program provides for the establishment of political dialogue through the intensification of contacts between the two parties.

    The program is meant to promote economic and commercial relations in order to create a favorable climate for the development of investments.

    Both parties also signed a Joint Declaration between the foreign ministries of their countries in order to create a bilateral partnership framework to define common areas of cooperation and intensify exchanges in various areas through, inter alia, organizing inter-ministerial and parliamentary meetings and increasing contacts between business circles.

    Through this declaration, both ministries are committed to promote the intensification of consultations on matters of common interest, including migration and integration policy, and the European Neighborhood Policy.

    They also agreed to establish a Moroccan-Dutch cooperation council, which will be in charge of implementing the initiatives undertaken by both parties for the development of bilateral relations.

    Speaking at a joint press briefing following the signing ceremony, Fassi Fihri, hailed the quality of cooperation relations between the two kingdoms, adding that Verhagen’s visit offers an opportunity to discuss issues relating to the Moroccan community based in the Netherlands.

    For his part, the Dutch minister praised the "enormous progress" that Morocco has achieved in human rights and the improvement of the situation of women, affirming the determination of his country to support the efforts to consolidate these reforms.

    He stressed that the action program, signed between the two countries, is "a step forward for closer cooperation in the fight against terrorism and illegal immigration."

   Regarding the Sahara issue, Verhagen reiterated his country’s support to the United Nations’ efforts to reach a political solution to this question, underlining that the Netherlands are in favor of holding a fifth round of negotiations between the concerned parties.

Source: MAP
News and events on Western Sahara issue / Corcas