Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Mr. Nasser Bourita and his Estonian peer, Mr. Margus Tsahkna, stated on Monday in Rabat, the two countries’ determination to further explore the development potential of their bilateral ties.

"The two Ministers welcomed the dynamism characterizing the relations between Morocco and Estonia in recent years and expressed mutual interest in further exploring the potential of their bilateral cooperation,” reads a joint declaration published following a meeting between Bourita and Tsahkna.

In this spirit, and aiming to strengthen coordination and enhance the frequency of dialogue, they agreed to hold regular consultations and further support them by the organization of reciprocal high-level visits across different sectors, the declaration adds.

In this respect, Bourita and his Estonian reaffirmed their strong resolve to strengthen economic and trade relations between the two countries to reach their full potential and agreed to expand their consultations to include economic and business discussions.

These will focus on ways and means to foster a more favorable environment for mutual investments and to encourage the business actors of both countries to fully exploit the opportunities presented by their respective economies, the declaration adds.

In their discussions, the Ministers explored several key areas where cooperation could be initiated or enhanced. These include maritime and port infrastructure, education through university exchanges and e-learning, cultural collaboration, particularly in the film industry, as well as archives and museums and, agriculture with a focus on fertilizers, and tourism development. They also addressed legal and judicial matters such as extradition agreements.

In this context, the Ministers agreed to have experts from various relevant sectors to review the existing agreements between the two countries in order to ensure their effective implementation and to initiate discussions on potential areas for new agreements where necessary.

The Ministers also welcomed the establishment of parliamentary friendship groups on both sides, recognizing these groups as important components in fostering parliamentary cooperation. They encourage these groups to engage in activities that promote human and cultural ties facilitating a deeper mutual understanding and respect between the two peoples.

The joint declaration also stresses Morocco and Estonia reaffirm their commitment to political coordination on matters of mutual interest within international and regional organizations.

“In this context, both sides expressed their determination to remain dedicated partners both bilaterally and at the multilateral level,” the same source adds, stressing that Estonia considers its support for Morocco's candidacy for a non-permanent seat of the United Nations Security Council for the period 2027-2028.

Acknowledging that their regional and global environment faces numerous complex challenges, the two countries emphasized the critical need for international, regional, and bilateral cooperation in combating hybrid threats and organized crime.

Within this context, Estonia praised Morocco's steadfast commitment to counterterrorism and its proactive efforts in various international organizations.

For its part, Morocco expressed its appreciation for Estonia's achievements in the areas of digitalization, e-government, and cyber security.

Morocco also congratulated Estonia for its successful initiatives on the matter like “The Tallinn Manual on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Operations”. Morocco also conveyed its readiness to consider the establishment of a formal framework of cooperation with the aim of encouraging, developing, and facilitating partnerships with interested institutions from both sides.