Morocco and Iraq have inaugurated a new phase in their diplomatic relations, to support the new Iraq. Several decisions were announced following an official visit by Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, to Baghdad.
Nasser Bourita met his Iraqi counterpart, Fouad Hussein, this Saturday in the Iraqi capital, where he assured him of Morocco’s support for the unity and sovereignty of Iraq.
The visit is historic since it is the first visit by a Moroccan foreign minister and a government official to Iraq for several years.
At a press conference, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita confirmed the historic nature of this visit, stressing that it will see the opening of the Moroccan embassy in Baghdad which was closed 18 years ago.
“This is an important sign of Morocco’s confidence in the new Iraq,” stressed the head of Moroccan diplomacy.
Relations between the two countries will evolve in all areas, including trade and economics, the fight against extremism and the strengthening of security cooperation. The two countries also plan to exchange visits and experiences in different sectors.
For his part, Fouad Hussein, the Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs, affirmed that “Iraq supports the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco”, considering that “Iraq’s relations with Morocco will experience a new generation of diplomatic interaction”.
And to add that “the most important thing is the strengthening of relations between the two countries, the exchange aimed at facilitating the entry of Iraqis and businessmen at the beginning, the establishment of trade and economic relations and the exchange of consultations on political issues between the two countries”.
In this regard, he said that it is necessary to reconsider the agreements concluded between Iraq and Morocco at different times. This visit by Nasser Bourita is a real new start in bilateral relations.
Before going to Baghdad, the Minister of Foreign Affairs received 6 invitations to make an official visit. Iraq has also presented, on several occasions, officially, a request for the return of the Moroccan embassy to operate from Baghdad.
The Moroccan embassy in Iraq had been transferred to Amman in 2005, and through this request for the reopening of the Moroccan embassy in the Iraqi capital, the Iraqi authorities are finding support from the Kingdom for the legitimacy of the new Iraq.
And according to what was reported by the Iraqi news agency, in-depth discussions took place between the Moroccan foreign minister and his Iraqi counterpart, where it was agreed to convene the joint Iraqi-Moroccan committee, to deepen political consultation and to find mechanisms to confirm the dynamics of the diplomacy of the two countries and through the consultation mechanism.
It was also agreed to organize forums of businessmen and investors between Baghdad and Rabat, and to discuss the possibility of activating the direct air line between the two countries.