APA – Rabat (Morocco) – At the 56th meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), held in Jakarta, Indonesia, on July 11 and 12, 2023, Morocco was granted the status of Sectoral Dialogue Partner in principle.
“The Kingdom, the first African country to benefit from this status, aims through this partnership to raise its cooperation with ASEAN to a higher level, thus contributing to regional peace, stability, security, development and prosperity in both regions,” Morocco’s Foreign Ministry says in a press release.
The sectoral dialogue partnership defines the foundations and prospects for multi-faceted cooperation between ASEAN and Morocco in sectors identified by both parties. To this end, Morocco had proposed a cooperation action plan in February 2018, targeting areas of cooperation of common interest likely to contribute to ASEAN’s vision for 2025. This action plan was updated, in February 2023, taking into account developments since then, notably the repercussions linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This Partnership represents an opportunity for substantial cooperation based on a win-win approach that is at the heart of the South-South cooperation policy advocated by Morocco,” the press release goes on.
Morocco also expressed willingness to share its experience and expertise with ASEAN member countries in areas where the Kingdom’s reputation is known and recognized internationally, such as agriculture, food security, fisheries, marine pollution control, trade, investment promotion, tourism and education.
As a reminder, Morocco joined the ASEAN Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation (TAC) in September 2016. Since then, the Kingdom has strengthened its presence in other regional organizations in Southeast Asia, notably those linked institutionally or geographically to ASEAN. In 2017 and 2022, Rabat signed two MoUs with the Mekong River Commission (MRC), comprising Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
Created in 1967, ASEAN comprises ten countries: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. As a grouping, it is the 3rd largest economic
power in Asia. Six other countries enjoy “Sectoral Dialogue Partner” status with ASEAN: Switzerland, Norway, Turkey, Pakistan, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates.
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