Global Arab Network | EU seeks a strategic relationship with Morocco on all levels

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EU seeks a strategic relationship with Morocco on all levels

Global Arab Network - - Rabih Serrai

Thursday, 04 March 2010 19:23

The EU seeks a strategic relationship with Morocco on all levels and at every scale – politics, economy and human – with the goal of “a future sharing of all but institutions”, according to the Spanish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Angel Lossada.

He was quoted in a Spanish Presidency press release ahead of the EU-Morocco Summit to be held in Granada on 6-7 March – an event the Presidency hopes will mark “a turning point” in the relationship and serve as an example for the region.

Lossada said the Summit, “follows increasingly intensive strengthening of the relations between the European Union and Morocco” which attained a new significance just over a year ago with the granting of Advanced Status.

This process of approximation between the EU and Rabat has created a virtuous circle dynamic, says Lossada, and Morocco's significant reform effort has led the EU to give the country priority as an aid recipient in its neighbourhood programme.

The joint statement issued at the end of the summit will reflect shared positions on global and regional issues and will set the roadmap for the future of EU-Morocco relations, the press release said.

The global topics on the agenda include the economic crisis and climate change, while regional topics are expected to include the Maghreb, the Union for the Mediterranean, the Middle East peace process, EU-African relations, immigration and security in the Sahel.

Prospects of the Advanced Status will also be analysed, such as cooperation projects in matters of renewable energy and combating terrorism, as well as human rights and the situation in the Sahara.

The summit will be attended by European representatives including the Spanish Prime Minister José Luís Rodríguez Zapatero, the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Durao Barroso, the Commissioner of Commerce, Karen de Gucht, and the Commissioner of the European Neighbourhood Policy, Stefan Füle.

Morocco will be represented by its Prime Minister, Abbas El Fassi, accompanied by his ministers of Foreign Affairs, Economy and Finance, Agriculture and Fisheries, Education, Industry, Trade and New Technologies, and Foreign Trade.

Moratinos: Morocco can expect significant EU support at key Summit meeting

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos has said Morocco can expect to obtain “significant support” from the EU at the upcoming EU-Morocco Summit, in political, economic and financial matters in particular.

Speaking in a short interview on the Spanish EU Presidency website on the eve of the summit meeting in Granada, the Spanish Foreign Minister outlined some of the some of the issues that the Spanish Presidency was keen to discuss with its “old neighbour to the south”.

Moratinos said this was the first summit meeting held by the European Union with a third country since the Treaty of Lisbon was approved, “and that is therefore an important sign, a strong sign, for a neighbouring country of the EU, a neighbour of Spain and a southern country”.

“Morocco is an old neighbour of the EU,” he added, “but would like to be an old neighbour that is increasingly involved in all those areas or competencies that would allow it to participate in economic, social and technological advances. I think the summit will be another step closer in that privileged relationship between Morocco and the EU.”

The Minister said immigration issues would be high on the agenda, “as Morocco is a partner that assists European countries and source countries enormously to manage migratory flows co-responsibly, and it is therefore a key country for the strong and effective management of these flows”.

The Union for the Mediterranean would also be part of the discussions, he added, as would regional matters, like the Maghreb and Western Sahara.

Global Arab Network

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