Monrovia – Liberia-Morocco Joint Commission has concluded its 3rd Session with the hope of further fostering the bilateral relationships subsisting between the two nations.
Report by Augustine T. Tweh, [email protected]
The meetings, which recently brought together officials from both Liberia and the Kingdom of Morocco, took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Monrovia and lasted for two days.
Speaking at the formal opening of the two-day dialogue, the head of the Moroccan delegation, Youssef Slaoui, said the meeting is to further build a robust bilateral relationship between the two countries gear toward supporting President George Manneh Weah’s “pro-poor agenda” and to discuss key development priorities.
According to Slaoui, the meeting was also intended to develop the legal framework for the Joint Commission to enable the smooth operation of the exercise. He hoped that the meeting will yield fruitful benefits for both partners.
“We are not strangers to Liberia and to the Liberian people. We have a long-standing friendship. Our excellent relationship is a testimony of the long-time cooperation that we want to be a role model for other African countries and to be hopeful and to begin on principles and values that are solidarity and build a very strong bond,” the head of the Moroccan delegation said.
For his part, Mr. B. Elias Shoniyin, who was acting Minister of Foreign Affairs when the meeting was taking place, stated that the meeting will form a concrete framework that allows Liberia and the Kingdom of Morocco to move on in partnership for the mutual benefit of the two countries.
Shoniyin added that Liberia and the Kingdom of Morocco have a long history of friendship in supporting each other not only bilaterally but multilaterally at the African Union (AU), the United Nations and other international fora for issues of mutual interests.
“We realize that this partnership has actually been lacking behind and we thought it was important that we conclude arrangements to converge at this 3rd Session of the Joint Commission to be able to do some tangibles and to redefine the framework within which to move in,” Minister Shoniyin said.
He noted that during the 2nd Session of the Joint Commission in 2011, seven major agreements and cooperation instruments were concluded including on air services and few others, adding that relevant institutions in government have already started the revision of the instruments.
“Most of the time when I think about the lost opportunities in our engagement and then noting what the partnership with Morocco that has yield in many other countries around us, what Morocco is doing in Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Ghana, and in Nigeria which seems to be on the rise, the question is why not in Liberia? So, I’m hoping that this engagement today is going to sow the seed that will serve as a similar push to re-engage in a more dynamic way that will bring excellent reward to our both countries,” he hoped.