Japan-Morocco Relations

On December 24th, commencing at 11:05 AM (local time, 7:05 PM Japan time) for approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes, Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs held a meeting with H.E. Mr. Nasser BOURITA, Minister of Foreign Affairs and international cooperation of the Kingdom of Morocco in Rabat, Morocco during his visit. The overview of the meeting is as follows.

1. In the beginning, Minister Kono stated that the relationship between Japan and Morocco is extremely well based on exchanges between the Imperial and Royal families, and that Japan appreciates the important role which Morocco is playing in the development and stability of the Middle East and North Africa region under the wise and great leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. Minister Kono said that Morocco is an extremely important partner for Japan in strengthening its diplomacy in the Middle East and Africa.
2. Minister Kono also stated that, as a gateway to Europe and Africa, the number of Japanese companies in Morocco is the second largest in Africa, and as such Morocco is an important partner for Japan. Minister Kono expressed his intention to further promote the entry of Japanese businesses to Morocco by, among other things, setting up legal frameworks to support corporate activities.
3. Furthermore, the two Ministers exchanged opinions on how the two countries can cooperate in the TICAD process based on the idea that the two countries can play a major role in the development of Africa in mutual cooperation. Minister Kono expressed his expectation for Morocco’s positive participation to TICAD 7 next August.
4. The two Ministers exchanged views on the situations in East Asia and the Middle East, and confirmed the importance of working closely with each other in the international arena.