PHILIPPINES AND MOROCCO FINALIZE BILATERAL AGREEMENTS TO BOLSTER DIPLOMATIC TIES

Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. and Foreign Minister Naser Bourita sign the Air Services Agreement, MOU on Political Consultations, and Cooperation Agreement between the Philippine Foreign Service Institute and Moroccan Academy for Diplomatic Studies (photo from @ @Marocdiplo_EN)

Rabat, 21 March 2022 - During the official visit of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. to Morocco last week, the Philippines and Morocco finalized the agreements on Air Services, Political Consultations, and Cooperation between the Philippine Foreign Service Institute and Moroccan Academy for Diplomatic Studies. Secretary Locsin and his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita signed the said agreements.

The air services agreement aims to enhance the level of safety of international air transport between the Philippines and Morocco, as well as to contribute to the economic and social development of both countries. The MOU on Political Consultations seeks to establish a legal basis for regular consultations between the respective foreign ministries of the Philippines and Morocco to discuss all aspects of bilateral relations. The MOU between the respective diplomatic training institutions of Morocco and the Philippines reinforces the framework for dynamic cooperation between said institutions in terms of training junior diplomats and exchange of information and best practices in the field of diplomatic and international relations.

Representatives from the Philippine News Agency (PNA), Maghreb Arab Press (MAP), Department of Foreign Affairs, and Philippine Embassy in Rabat witness the signing of the PNA-MAP Cooperation Agreement

The Cooperation Agreement between the Philippine News Agency (PNA) and the Maghreb Arab Press (MAP) was also signed on 16 March 2022 by Ambassador Leslie J. Baja and MAP Director-General Khalil Hachimi Idrissi during a ceremony witnessed by Secretary Locsin and PNA Director Virginia Arcilla-Agtay. Present during the ceremony are representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Embassy in Rabat, PNA, and MAP.

The agreements provide a framework for the Philippines and Morocco to strengthen and promote bilateral cooperation on areas covered by these agreements, as well as contribute to the overall development of both countries. END