Mr. Nasser Bourita, held talks with Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Qu Dangu, on the ways to promote cooperation relations.

During these talks, held on the sidelines of the 33rd session of the FAO Regional Conference for Africa (April 18-20 in Rabat), the two officials welcomed the exemplary cooperation relations between Morocco and FAO, marked recently by the signing of the new Cooperation Framework for 2023-2027.

This program, focused on strategic and innovative issues, including food and nutritional security, sustainable rural development and digital agriculture, will allow FAO to better meet Morocco's expectations in terms of cooperation.

Mr. Nasser Bourita congratulated FAO Director-General for his leadership and the momentum he has created through concrete initiatives that have contributed in reducting hunger and poverty, such as "Hand in Hand” and “Green Cities” initiatives. “Morocco supports these initiatives that meet national priorities in agriculture”, he underlined.

The minister also said that food security has always represented a strategic priority for Morocco and is at the heart of its new development model for 2035 in accordance with the far-sighted Vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

Mr. Nasser Bourita underlined that South-South cooperation is a pillar of the Cooperation Framework between Morocco and FAO, pointing out that African countries should benefit from this fruitful partnership, stressing that Morocco is willing to further strengthen this Partnership to promote strengthened South-South and triangular cooperation with African countries.

For his part, FAO Director-General welcomed the Moroccan experience in agriculture and the food processing industry, considering that the strategies adopted by Morocco over the last twenty years can be an example to follow for African countries.

He added that FAO intends to develop its cooperation with the Kingdom of Morocco by favoring South-South and triangular cooperation partnerships.

Morocco, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, has accumulated significant experience in agriculture and food, Director-General of UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Mr. Qu Dongyu, said.

In a statement to the press following his talks with Head of Government, Mr. Aziz Akhannouch, FAO DG hailed the Kingdom's experience in different vital areas and sectors, including agriculture, fisheries and forestry, voicing his delight at his visit to the Kingdom to learn about its achievements.

In this regard, he praised the projects and expertise developed in Morocco, highlighting the continued efforts made by the government, particularly in terms of strengthening agricultural and food systems at national and African levels.

These talks, he said, are an opportunity to create new prospects for cooperation between FAO and Morocco in agricultural and food fields, expressing FAO’s will to deepen partnership and cooperation relations in different areas of common interest towards new promising perspectives.

This meeting, attended by Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests, Mr. Mohamed Sadiki, is part of Mr. Qu’s visit to Morocco on the occasion of the 33rd session of the FAO Regional Conference for Africa (ARC33), held on April 18-20 in Rabat.

The UN official is on a working visit to the Kingdom as part of ARC33, which brings together 54 delegations, including more than 40 led by African Ministers of Agriculture, to define priorities with the FAO for the next two years, in order to achieve transformative and sustainable change in agri-food systems across the continent.

Morocco holds the presidency of the FAO Regional Conference for Africa for two consecutive years.