Morocco and Côte d’Ivoire have voiced their shared resolve to pool efforts to fight all new forms of crime, namely terrorism, cybercrime, maritime piracy and drug trafficking, and urged the international community to unite to put an end to these scourges.
This came in the joint communiqué released at the end of the just concluded friendship visit of King Mohammed VI to Abidjan. The visit was marked by tête-à-tête talks between the Moroccan ruler and President Alassane Ouattara on bilateral relations as well as on national, regional and international issues.
During the talks, President Ouattara informed his guest on the progress made by Côte d’Ivoire in the areas of democracy, the fight against poverty and the fight against terrorism.
The two Heads of State reiterated their determination to endeavor for a more united, solidarity-based Africa, able to fight effectively and victoriously all new forms of crime, namely terrorism, cybercrime, maritime piracy and drug trafficking, says the Joint communiqué, adding that they also called for “sustainable and inclusive political solutions to crises on the continent.”
In this regard, King Mohammed VI hailed the decisive role that President Ouattara continues to play in the peaceful settlement of these conflicts, as President Félix Houphouet-Boigny has always advocated.
President Ouattara who welcomed Morocco’s return to the African Union, stressed the decisive role that the North African Kingdom will play within its institutional family and in consolidating peace and security in the continent, says the joint statement.
“This return clearly shows the will and determination of the King of Morocco to engage in South-South cooperation and to participate fully in the development of the continent, as shown by the Morocco-Nigeria pipeline project, which will cross West African countries including Côte d’Ivoire and which will benefit the whole region”, underlines the document.
For his part, King Mohammed VI pledged to back this African country’s candidacy as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2018-2019 term.
At the bilateral level, the two heads of State voiced satisfaction at the two countries’ cooperation, already cemented by 143 Accords, and underlined the need to implement these agreements for the development of the two countries and the well-being of their peoples.
They called in this regards on the follow-up mechanisms to hold regular meetings to supervise the implementation of bilateral accords.
They also welcomed the Second Session of the Morocco-Côte d’Ivoire Economic Impetus Group, which works to promote a genuine strategic partnership between the public and private sectors and to make of bilateral cooperation a genuine model of South-South cooperation for the whole of Africa.
During the royal visit, King Mohammed VI visited a number of structuring projects being carried out part of Moroccan-Ivorian cooperation to oversee the progress of works. One of these major projects underway is the rehabilitation and upgrade of the Cocody Bay.
In this vein, President Ouattara expressed his country’s gratitude to Morocco for its inestimable contribution to the development of Côte d’Ivoire, where it now stands as one of the main investors.
