FEZ, Morocco, 20 May 2007 — Saudi Arabia and Morocco announced plans to upgrade their ties to strategic partnership levels yesterday at the conclusion of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s visit. They also signed five agreements to strengthen political and economic cooperation.
“King Abdullah and King Muhammad emphasized their determination to take Saudi-Moroccan relations to new heights in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of their peoples,” the final communiqué issued after the visit said. King Abdullah and his delegation later went to Casablanca.
The two leaders have already instructed officials to remove all obstacles to the smooth flow of goods, services and investments between the two countries in order to expand their cooperation in various sectors and establish joint investment projects.
“The two leaders also called for the organization of specialized forums of businessmen to set out plans to promote cooperation in areas such as investment, trade and development, encourage mutual visits of business delegations and participate in trade exhibitions,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted the communiqué as saying.
Saudi Arabia and Morocco also decided to expand cooperation in education, culture, science and tourism, intensify communication between their universities, higher institutes and research centers and carry out joint research projects. They also agreed to promote moderate teachings of Islam and support the coalition of civilizations initiative proposed by the UN secretary-general.
A high-level Moroccan source said Abdullah’s visit, his first to an Arab country after ascending the throne in August 2005, would open a new era in Saudi-Moroccan relations. The source noted Rabat’s role in promoting relations between European, Maghreb and African countries as well as with the Americas.
King Abdullah and King Muhammad held talks on Friday and rejected foreign interference in Arab affairs. They also explored ways of strengthening cooperation between their two countries.
The Saudi ruler was given a warm welcome on arrival in Fez on Thursday for talks with King Muhammad. The communiqué said the two countries emphasized the importance of promoting dialogue between cultures on the basis of equality and mutual respect. They agreed to activate joint Arab work ensuring territorial unity and integrity of Arab countries and reinforcing a culture of dialogue and good neighborliness.
The Kingdom supported King Muhammad’s decision to set up a royal consultative council for Sahara affairs and his initiative for providing autonomy to Western Sahara. King Abdullah hoped that the initiatives taken by the Moroccan king would lead to a final settlement of the Sahara issue.
The two kings backed the Arab peace plan relaunched by the last Arab summit in Riyadh in order to end the Arab-Israeli conflict, reach a comprehensive peace settlement in the Middle East and establish an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
The communiqué praised King Abdullah’s efforts to reconcile Palestinian groups, paving the way for the establishment of a unity government in Palestine. “The two leaders urged the Palestinian groups to abide by the agreement they signed in Makkah,” the communiqué said and called upon the international community to respect the democratic choice of the Palestinian people.
At the same time, King Abdullah praised the role of the Jerusalem Committee chaired by King Muhammad in protecting the Arab and Islamic identity of the holy city and its religious sites and sanctities.
Referring to Iraq, the two countries emphasized the need for respecting the unity, sovereignty and independence of the country and its Arab and Islamic identity. They also stressed that active participation of all political forces in Iraq was essential for achieving stability in the war-torn country.
The five agreements signed by the two countries were for promoting political consultation between the foreign ministries; promoting cooperation in Islamic and endowment affairs; an executive program for tourism cooperation; a loan agreement for a Moroccan dam, and an accord between Yanbu Al-Nakhl in the Kingdom and the City of Moulay Ali Al-Sharief in Morocco for harmonious relations. King Abdullah offered to grant $50 million for manpower development and the support of people with special needs in Morocco.
