The opening of a Consulate General in Laayoune on Thursday, March 4, 2021, proves once again that the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan “was and will always be on Morocco’s side” concerning the Sahara issue, said Deputy Prime Minister, Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Mr. Ayman Al-Safadi.
Today’s inauguration “confirms the firm position of Jordan that was and will always remain on the side of the Kingdom of Morocco” concerning the issue of its territorial integrity, Al-Safadi stated at a joint press briefing with Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Mr. Nasser Bourita.
This initiative proves that “we are working with our brothers to resolve the issue of Moroccan Sahara, in line with the resolutions of international legality and the autonomy initiative submitted by Morocco,” he noted, describing this proposal as a “practical and logical” solution to settle this artificial conflict.
Jordan’s top diplomat also deemed it necessary for Arab countries to join efforts, focus on common challenges and overcome tensions so as to ensure that “all our peoples enjoy their right to a better and dignified life.”
Mr. Al-Safadi also welcomed the “historically strong, strategic and distinguished” relations between the two brotherly kingdoms, which are reflected in the “continuous cooperation” between Moroccan and Jordanian officials at all levels.
“These historic ties are a model in Arab relations” in the service of common interests to “help achieve the development of our peoples and meet all the common challenges we face,” in conformity with the High Directives of the Heads of State of the two countries, His Majesty King Mohammed VI and his brother HM King Abdullah II, he added.
The Jordanian minister noted that his talks with MFA Bourita were an opportunity to discuss the steps to be taken to raise the solid relations between the two countries to the level of a “fruitful” cooperation which will serve the interests of the two kingdoms and those of the Arab nation in general, stressing the importance of strengthening cooperation in the fields of economy, investment and tourism.
On the Palestinian issue, Al-Safadi stated that Rabat and Amman share the same vision and are working together to achieve a “just and lasting” peace respecting all the legitimate rights of the brotherly Palestinian people, especially their right to an independent state within the borders of June 4, 1967, with Al-Quds Asharif as its capital.
There is also great cooperation between the two countries on the issue of Al-Quds, he added, commending the leading role of HM King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, in protecting the Arab-Islamic identity of this city and preserving its holy places.
Regarding the conflicts in some countries in the region, Jordan and Morocco have always worked for an active Arab role in efforts to end these crises, particularly in Syria, Libya and Yemen, Al-Safadi added.
Jordan is the 11th country to have inaugurated a consulate in Laayoune, after the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Côte d’Ivoire, the Comoros Islands, Gabon, Sao Tomé and Principe, the Central African Republic, Burundi, Eswatini and Zambia.