JOINT PRESS RELEASE OF THE MEETING BETWEEN THE TWO MINISTERS ON THE SIDELINE OF THE MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE OF ATLANTIC AFRICAN STATES

(RABAT, 07 JUNE 2022)

1. Within the framework of the bonds of friendship and fraternity which unite the Republic of Togo and the Kingdom of Morocco, and in accordance with the desire of the two countries to further strengthen their relations of cooperation, Mr. Nasser BOURITA, Minister of Foreign Affairs, for African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad met, in Rabat, on June 07, 2022, his Togolese counterpart H.E. Robert DUSSEY, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Togolese Abroad, on the sidelines of its participation in the first Ministerial Meeting of Atlantic African States.

2. The two Ministers had discussions during which they welcomed the excellent ties of friendship and solidarity existing between the two brotherly countries and praised the quality of the feelings of esteem and respect which characterize the relations between their Heads of State, His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco and his brother His Excellency Faure Gnassingbé, President of the Republic of Togo.

3. The two MAEs welcomed the fraternal talks held in November 2016 by His Majesty the King and the Togolese President, on the sidelines of the COP22 High Level Meeting and the African Action Summit

4. With regard to the question of the Moroccan Sahara, Mr. Robert DUSSEY: Recalled Togo’s support for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco; Commended the efforts of the United Nations Organization as the exclusive framework for reaching a realistic, practical and lasting solution to the dispute over the Sahara; Affirmed Togo’s support for the Autonomy Plan Initiative presented by the Kingdom of Morocco, which constitutes the one and only credible and realistic solution to the resolution of this dispute

5. In the same vein, he expressed the Togolese Republic’s support for the search for a lasting solution that would preserve the territorial integrity, unity and sovereignty of the Kingdom of Morocco, under the exclusive aegis of the United Nations and in compliance with decision 693 of the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union of July 2018.

6. On this occasion, Mr. Nasser BOURITA welcomed the participation of the Republic of Togo, in the person of Mr. Robert DUSSEY, in the Ministerial Conference to Support the Autonomy Initiative under the Sovereignty of Morocco which is is being held virtually on January 15, 2021, at the invitation of the Kingdom of Morocco and the United States of America. Welcoming this, the Togolese MFA stressed that this meeting is very important, noting that Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara region is total.

7. The two Ministers stressed the imperative of compliance with standards and procedures within the organs of the African Union, and reaffirmed the relevance of decision 693 of the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Union of July 2018, which consecrated the exclusivity of the UN as a framework for the search for a solution to the regional conflict around the Moroccan Sahara.

8. With regard to Moroccan-Togolese cooperation, the two Ministers welcomed the opening of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Lomé in October 2021 and the appointment of the Head of the Moroccan Diplomatic Mission in April 2022

9. The Togolese Minister announced the forthcoming opening of a Consulate General of the Togolese Republic in Dakhla.

10. They also reaffirmed their firm will to make every effort to further strengthen their relations, intensify and diversify their cooperation in all promising sectors.

11. The two Ministers agreed to further strengthen ambitious South-South cooperation through a partnership encompassing areas of common interest. This partnership must also be based on the exchange of experiences as well as on a more proactive policy of the businessmen of the two countries.

12. On the economic level, the two Ministers stressed that the volume of trade remains below the excellence of political relations and called for them to be further boosted, in particular, with Moroccan imports consisting of mineral fuels, coffee, cotton, tropical fruits, among others, and mainly exports of fertilizers, food products, paper and electric cables

13. In terms of investments, the two Ministers welcomed the presence of Morocco in Togo through investments in the banking sector through the establishment of subsidiaries of Attijariwafabank, Banque Populaire and Bank of Africa. To this end, the two parties have decided to multiply the missions of Businessmen to explore other trade and investment opportunities and to create a Moroccan-Togolese Business Council.

14. The two parties agreed to hold in Rabat, as soon as possible, the first session of the Mixed Commission for Moroccan-Togolese Cooperation, on a date to be fixed by mutual agreement through diplomatic channels.

Done in Rabat on June 07, 2022, in two original copies in French