RABAT : During an official visit to Morocco, the Sultanate of Oman , represented by its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Badr Bin Hamad Ben Hamoud Al Busaidi, recognized Morocco’s autonomy plan for “Western Sahara”, proposed in 2007 by King Mohammed VI of Morocco.
With this announcement, Oman joins more than 100 countries that have recognized the Moroccan plan, including the United States, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
In a joint statement, the Sultanate praised Morocco’s pioneering role in establishing peace and security in the “Western Sahara” region. Consequently, the Sultanate announced that the inauguration of consulates in the cities of Dakhla and Laayoune was only a matter of time. This Omani position would join that of the United Arab Emirates, the Comoros and Jordan, which already have their own consulates.
The Sultanate of Oman praised the continuous efforts of the King Mohammed V, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, in defending the Holy City and preserving its status and civilizational identity.
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This recognition of the major role of the King Mohammed V, to the benefit of the Palestinian cause, mainly the city of Al -Quds Asharif, was expressed in a joint communiqué published on the 7th Moroccan-Omani joint Commission, co-chaired, on Sunday in Muscat, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, and Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Bin Hamad Bin Hamoud Al Busaidi.
However, during the meeting, the two ministers signed several agreements and memoranda for the next five years.
The first of these would involve the Ministry of Transport of both countries so that professionals from both countries can be recognized and able to work in accordance with the regulations established by the International Convention on Training, Qualification and Care established in 1978.
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Second, greater collaboration was agreed on in renewable energy, a sector in which Morocco is a pioneer on the continent and whose objective is to move away from the use of oil and gas in favor of green energy until it represents 52% of the country’s total energy supply.
The agreement also involves the Moroccan mining sector, which is the main supplier of phosphates, and the Omani sector, the continent’s main supplier of aluminum.
In anticipation of the 2030 World Cup , Morocco and Oman have also reached agreements on how sport and education can complement each other. To this end, the two countries will hold meetings between the Moroccan Ministry of Education and Sports and the Omani Ministry of Sports and Culture. Another aspect discussed during the meeting was digitalization and the exchange of technical knowledge.
Finally, the two diplomatic corps agreed to increase cooperation and collaboration in the field of tourism, since Morocco and Oman are two of the countries where this sector is experiencing the strongest growth on the African continent.
