In a press conference in Rabat, Claudia Wiedey, the EU Ambassador to Morocco, explained an outline for the new direction of the EU-Moroccan partnership in the year 2021, under the EU’s Southern Neighborhood action plan for the timeframe of 2020-2027. While reminding of the EU’s initiatives in the country to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and its accelerated emergency response program, Wiedey indicated that the EU is approaching 2021 with renewal as its common ambition with Morocco, which it has consulted with the country about beforehand.
Recently, Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita spoke to a private company based in Europe and urged the EU to abandon its teacher-pupil mentality in its approach towards its partners in North Africa, including Morocco. The foreign minister highlighted that multilateral dialogue and consultation should be emphasized in the EU’s relations with its partners, rather than the imposition of its own agenda on them. Bourita added that if the EU values its southern neighborhood, it should not suffer the consequences of its unilateral decisions.
Foreign Minister Bourita praised European Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi for his efforts to consult with countries of the Southern Neighborhood with regards to the EU’s migration policy for the future before its officialization. The foreign minister indicated that usually, Morocco used to discover the EU’s decisions once they were made official without any consultation with the parties concerned.
