Bocchit Edmond, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Haiti on a trip to Morocco, in the framework of the Intergovernmental Conference for the Adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, met on the sidelines, his counterpart, Nasser Bourita, Minister Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The two men on Tuesday signed a joint declaration agreeing to further strengthen their bilateral cooperation relations in all areas.

"The two sides agreed to further strengthen bilateral relations, described as excellent, particularly through the promotion of bonds of friendship, brotherhood and cooperation between the governments and peoples of the two countries," the declaration said, adding "Both parties have demonstrated their firm commitment to continue the dynamic characterizing bilateral relations and to build a genuine strategic partnership, based on the principles of mutual benefits and common development, particularly through South-South cooperation, as a natural bridge between the Caribbean, Latin America and the Arab-African world, while the Republic of Haiti is a gateway and stepping stone to the Caribbean and Latin America." Also through this declaration they expressed their "determination to continue, energize and strengthen the current partnership between the two ministries and decided to meet soon, at the meeting of the Mechanism of Political Consultations."

For his part Bocchit Edmond said that this agreement also aims to increase the number of scholarships already awarded, deepen agricultural cooperation and explore technical assistance in the field of renewable energy, recalling that Morocco has just built the most world's largest power generation center using solar panels.

The two ministers also stressed the need to consolidate their cooperation in all areas and highlighted the quality of the bilateral political partnership that is conducive to boosting the economic partnership, given the potential and opportunities existing on both sides. They also agreed on the importance of encouraging and promoting the culture and heritage of both countries, as well as building the bridges of a successful cultural partnership to help bring the two peoples closer together, before agreeing to put in place additional legal instruments to contribute to the facilitation and diversification of bilateral trade, including through the establishment of an institutional framework, aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation and facilitating the exchange of delegations between the two countries.

They also reiterated their commitment to implement all the cooperation agreements concluded between the Republic of Haiti and the Kingdom of Morocco, in particular the Memorandum of Understanding, signed in New York on 27 September 2013, by the Permanent Representatives of the two countries to the United Nations, and "agreed to put in place new mechanisms to make the scholarships granted by the Kingdom of Morocco more efficient."

HL/ HaitiLibre