Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Eswatini, Pholile Shakantu, reiterated, here Tuesday, her country’s support for the Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara.
“The Kingdom of Eswatini also deems the autonomy plan presented by Morocco in 2007 as the only solution” to settle the regional dispute around the Moroccan Sahara, Shakantu told the press following her talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, on the sidelines of the High-Level Ministerial Conference on Middle-Income Countries.
In this regard, she recalled the opening in 2020 of a Consulate General of the Kingdom of Eswatini in Laayoune.
Shakantu also welcomed the “long-standing brotherly relations” between the two monarchies and the two peoples, commending Morocco’s support to her country in granting scholarships in medicine, legal studies and other technical specialties.
“We have stressed the need to further promote bilateral cooperation, and we are looking forward to holding the upcoming Trade and Cooperation Committee before the end of the year,” Eswatini’s head of diplomacy said.
The High-Level Ministerial Conference on Middle-Income Countries is being held on Monday and Tuesday in Rabat, with the participation of 32 countries, including many represented at ministerial level, and 23 United Nations development agencies and other international and regional institutions.
Under the theme “Solutions to Address Development Challenges of Middle-Income Countries in a Changing World”, this high-level Ministerial Conference is organized on the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, jointly with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the United Nations Development Programme.
MAP: 06 February 2024
