Rabat, 19 March 2019 – The Republic of Rwanda and the Kingdom of Morocco held their first Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) in Rabat. Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Dr. Richard Sezibera and his Moroccan counterpart, Mr. Nasser Bourita, signed 12 new agreements in areas of trade, environment, mining, geology and hydrocarbons, judicial cooperation and human capital development, bringing the total number of agreements between the two nations to thirty-six (36).

During a joint briefing on the sidelines of the meeting, Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Nasser Bourita said that relations between the two countries have been a turning point after the visits to Rwanda and Morocco by His Majesty the King Mohammed VI in October 2016, and President Paul Kagame in June 2016.

For his part, Rwanda's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Dr Richard Sezibera expressed his satisfaction with the new dynamic in bilateral relations between the two countries, reinforced by "the strategic vision and commitment" of His Majesty the King and the Rwandan President, to build a strong, dignified and confident Africa.

Commenting on the signed agreements, Minister Sezibera commended the dynamism demonstrated by the Moroccan government and reiterated Rwanda’s commitment to strengthening existing relations.

“Moroccan partners have demonstrated their dynamism and Rwanda is very much looking forward to the completion of ongoing projects and the launch of new ones.  Allow me to once again reiterate our commitment to the brotherly relations for the best of our nations, our people and our continent,” Minister Sezibera said.

Since the visit of H.M. King Mohamed VI, in October 2016 in Kigali, 24 agreements have been signed, with commitments worth US$ 160 million from Moroccan investors in agri-business, health, industry, energy and construction among others, Minister Sezibera noted. 

Most of these projects are at advanced stage, including the construction of a pharmaceutical factory in Rwanda by Cooper Pharma, which is 85% completed.  Several mutual exchange visits by Moroccan and Rwandan agriculture experts have also been conducted, culminating in the training of Rwandan technical staff in the fields of irrigation, fertilizer testing and soil mapping. Morocco is providing technical assistance to establish the Caravan approach in Rwanda, while also offering technical assistance to the design of an Agriculture Insurance Scheme. As well, plans for the set-up of a fertilizer blending facility by OCP Africa are advanced, and construction of the facility is set to begin next month.

Below are the 12 agreements signed on Tuesday between the Republic of Rwanda, represented by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Dr. Richard Sezibera and the Kingdom of Morocco, represented by Minister Nasser Bourita:

• MoU on diplomatic training cooperation;
• Protocol Agreement in the field of housing and urban development;
• Framework Agreement in the field of energy;
• Framework Agreement in the field of mining, geology and hydrocarbons;
• Framework Convention in vocational training;
• Framework Agreement on scholarships and internships;
• Implementation Agreement of the MoU on establishment of the African Institute of Technology (this is the revitalization of an existing agreement);
• MoU on Trade Cooperation;
• Specific Agreement on financial inclusion of farmers through implementation of a scoring system in Rwanda;
• Extradition treaty between the Government of the Republic of Rwanda and the Kingdom of Morocco;
• Convention on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters;
• MoU in the field of investment and export promotion.

Prior to the JPC meeting, Minister Sezibera met with various Moroccan high officials including His Excellency Saâdeddine El Othmani, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Morocco.  The two leaders welcomed the bilateral partnership between the two countries in various fields. Minister Sezibera met with Ms. Rkia Derham, Secretary of State for Foreign Trade - Ministry of Industry, Investment, Trade and Digital Economy of Morocco. He also had a bilateral meeting with Anass Doukkali, Morocco's Minister of Health, and interacted with many Rwandan students who are pursuing their studies in Morocco.

End.