Opening of Djiboutian Consulate in Dakhla Crowns Development of Relations Between Two Countries

Dakhla - The opening of a Djiboutian consulate in Dakhla, the first diplomatic representation of a member state of the League of Arab States, crowns the development of relations between the two countries, said on Friday in Dakhla, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita. The two countries have been able to develop privileged and long-standing relations, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI and President of the Republic of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh, stressed Bourita during a joint press briefing with Ambassador of the Republic of Djibouti Ibrahim Bileh Doualeh. This development of bilateral relations materialized through the opening of Djibouti's embassy in Rabat in 2013 and the strengthening of the bilateral legal framework, which includes today a dozen of agreements, as well as the opening of a diplomatic annexe of the Kingdom of Morocco in Djibouti over the past year, which will soon turn into an embassy of Morocco, noted the minister, who co-chaired with Doualeh the opening ceremony of the consulate general of Djibouti in Dakhla. In this context, Bourita stressed that relations between Morocco and Djibouti are characterized by solidarity and cooperation in all areas, especially the technical field, underlining that Djibouti has always been by the side of Morocco to support and defend its causes, whether within the African Union (AU) or the United Nations. He also added that Djibouti, which currently chairs the AU Peace and Security Council, has been working in permanent coordination with Morocco, particularly on the national question, so that it is not used or exploited by certain parties within the AU. In addition, Bourita said that 100 scholarships are granted to Djiboutian students, stressing that these scholarships are related to training and study in the southern provinces, in Dakhla in particular, through training institutes.

The opening ceremony, chaired by Bourita and Doualeh, took place notably in the presence of Director General of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI), ambassador Mohamed Methqal, the Wali of Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region, governor of Oued Eddahab province, Lamine Benomar and president of the region El Khattat Yanja. It is the third consular representation to open in Dakhla and the ninth in the southern provinces in less than three months. Bourita had presided, earlier in the day in Laayoune with his Burundian counterpart Ezechiel Nibigira, the opening ceremony of the Consulate General of the Republic of Burundi, the sixth diplomatic representation in the capital of the Moroccan Sahara in less than three months. The Minister of Foreign Affairs announced last December that the cities of Laayoune and Dakhla will have a total of ten diplomatic representations by the end of the current year.