Morocco-Senegal: Strategic Partnership Set to Enter a New Phase of Cooperation and Coordination
ALDAR/
Morocco and Senegal are set to further strengthen their longstanding strategic partnership, building on ties marked by their solidity, depth and continuity, Senegalese Minister of African Integration, Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad Cheikh Niang said on Saturday in Luanda, describing the relationship as “unique” on the African continent.
Niang made the remarks following talks with Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, held on the sidelines of the 26th extraordinary session of the Executive Council of the African Union.
Speaking to the press after the meeting, the Senegalese minister described Moroccan-Senegalese relations as “a close relationship that is evolving in line with the expectations of the leaders of our two countries,” expressing satisfaction with the level of bilateral cooperation and the enduring bonds of friendship between the Moroccan and Senegalese peoples.
He stressed the distinctive nature of the partnership, reaffirming both sides’ determination to maintain the current momentum, further consolidate their ties and expand cooperation into new areas.
The talks provided an opportunity to discuss several issues of common interest, Niang said, noting that the two sides had reached a broad convergence of views on all the matters addressed during the meeting.
“There are no differences,” Niang said, stressing that cooperation between the two countries would continue in the same spirit, with a shared determination to take it “towards even broader horizons.”
Permanent political consultation
For his part, Nasser Bourita said the meeting was part of the longstanding tradition of regular consultation between Rabat and Dakar on bilateral, regional and continental issues.
He said the discussions also provided an opportunity to reaffirm the clear guidance of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and the Senegalese President, aimed at ensuring that the bilateral agenda remains “always rich and dynamic.”
Bourita highlighted the exceptional nature of Moroccan-Senegalese relations within Africa, stressing that “everything we can do will still fall short of what this unique bilateral relationship deserves.”
“There is no country in Africa that has the same relationship that Morocco and Senegal have built over the decades,” he added, underlining the historical depth and distinctive character of the partnership between Rabat and Dakar.
The two ministers also reviewed the roadmap for bilateral relations and ways of implementing it, while discussing measures to reinvigorate the various cooperation mechanisms linking the two countries.
Sahel and Atlantic Africa at the heart of coordination
The talks also provided an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of continued coordination between Rabat and Dakar on a number of priority issues, particularly those relating to the Sahel region and Atlantic Africa.
The two sides also discussed various regional and multilateral issues concerning the African continent, within an approach based on regular consultation and convergence of positions.
The discussions reflect the continued momentum characterizing Moroccan-Senegalese relations, which are built on regular consultation, shared positions on issues of common interest and a common political will to strengthen and expand bilateral cooperation.
They also underscore Rabat and Dakar’s shared ambition to extend their partnership into new areas and deepen their coordination on key issues shaping the African agenda.
