Cape Verde: Morocco's autonomy initiative, basis of negotiations towards final settlement of Sahara

    In a joint press release at the end of the two-day 1st session of the  Moroccan-Cape Verdean cooperation Commission, the Cape Verdean party has deplored the stagnation of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) and considered that this inertia penalizes the aspirations of the Maghreb peoples.

    The two parties reiterated their countries' firm commitment to the principles of law and the international legality, especially those relating to the preservation of the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of states.

    Morocco and Cape-Verde also voiced will to work towards security cooperation, to fight more efficiently all forms of illicit trafficking in the Sahel-Saharan region and the Atlantic.

    During this meeting, co-chaired by Moroccan Foreign Minister Taib Fassi Fihri and his Cape Verdean counterpart, Jose Brito, the two countries signed three cooperation agreements in the fields of industry, merchant navy and tourism.

    Under the first agreement, the two countries will develop an industrial cooperation, particularly in business, supporting small enterprises and competitive modernization of small and medium-sized businesses.

    By virtue of the second, the two parties encourage shipowners to take measures to guarantee organization of goods and passenger traffic for the mutual good of the two countries’ shipowners and loaders.

    The third agreement provides for encouraging the exchange of information on national legislation in the field of tourism, tourist data (statistics, brochures, etc) as well as the systems of tourism-related executive training.

    Speaking during the closing session, Mr. Brito insisted that Morocco’s return to the African Union is a must, stressing his country’s readiness to help create the favorable conditions so that Morocco regains its status in the Organization.

    In a statement to the press at the end of the meeting, Fassi Fihri described this session as a new page in bilateral relations, noting that its results were positive and open new vistas to bilateral cooperation.

MAP