The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad, Mr. Nasser Bourita, today had a meeting by videoconference with his Japanese counterpart, Mr. Yoshimasa Hayashi. The meeting focused on the state and prospects of bilateral relations as well as the incidents that marked the last TICAD Summit held in Tunis on August 27 and 28, 2022.
At first glance, the two ministers welcomed the excellence and solidity of the relations that bind the two countries, marked by the high esteem and the closeness of the relations between His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, and the Emperor of Japan Hironomiya Naruhito.
Mr. Bourita stressed that, in accordance with the Sovereign’s Vision and Orientations, the Kingdom has always attached particular importance to the promotion and deepening of its relations with Japan.
The two ministers underlined that the level of economic relations between the two countries still remains below the potential, capacities and will of the two countries. They thus agreed to undertake the necessary actions to strengthen the already extensive legal arsenal, framing bilateral cooperation, marked this year by the entry into force of the two essential agreements concerning investments and non-double taxation.
In addition, high-level visits will be scheduled in the coming weeks to identify investment opportunities in Morocco for the attention of major Japanese economic groups. Mr. Bourita assured his interlocutor that Morocco will grant the necessary facilities for the attraction and installation of Japanese investments in Morocco.
+ TICAD is a partnership and development forum that must be shielded from political maneuvering +
Cooperation in the field of food security and in particular in the phosphates and fertilizers sector was also at the center of discussions between the two ministers. In this regard, it was agreed to raise the relationship in this area to a higher level, going beyond that of a simple customer-supplier relationship.
The two ministers also welcomed the level and quality of the tripartite cooperation programs implemented by the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI) and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the benefit of African partner countries and agreed to examine the possibility of extending this cooperation to the benefit of new countries and in other promising sectors, in order to be in line with the priority importance given by Morocco, in accordance with the High Royal Instructions, to Africa and South-South Cooperation as well as Japan’s interest in its relations with the Continent.
Referring to the TICAD Summit in Tunis, Mr. Bourita praised the commitment of Japan, the first country to launch a partnership forum with Africa, for the contribution to the achievement of the development of the Continent, its stability and the well-being of its populations.
He recalled that TICAD is a forum for partnership and development which must be sheltered from political maneuvers hatched by certain known parties. He paid tribute to the firmness and constancy of the position expressed by the Japanese delegation in Tunis. Mr. Bourita pointed to the responsibility of Tunisia, the host country of this edition of TICAD, in the serious abuses committed without consultation with the Japanese partner and which led to the presence and participation of an entity not officially invited to the Summit; excesses which have unfortunately impacted the results and the influence expected of this Summit which was to be an event of celebration and consolidation of the Japan-Africa partnership.
For his part, the Japanese minister indicated that Japan wishes to further develop the fruitful relations that bind it to Morocco, particularly on the economic level. He indicated that the Japanese authorities will provide their support and commitment to the establishment of Japanese companies in the Kingdom, which offers a favorable and promising investment climate.
Mr. Hayashi also reiterated his country’s commitment to contributing to social development, economic stability and skills development in the Kingdom.
Returning to the recent events of TICAD VIII in Tunis, the Japanese minister reiterated his country’s regret regarding the absence of Morocco, which he described as an “essential partner”. He, once again, confirmed that Japan had not invited the said entity to the TICAD VIII Summit and that he had called on Tunisia to take all necessary measures in this regard. This “unequivocal” position was reiterated during the press conference he held in Tokyo, he said.
Renewing his thanks for Morocco’s understanding of Japan’s position, Mr. Hayashi expressed his country’s wish to continue working with Morocco within the framework of TICAD.