During a press conference held following their talks, MFA Bourita said that the visit of his Sierra Leonean counterpart falls within the framework of the sustained development that the relations between the two countries have known in recent years. These ties drew on the solid friendship and solidarity between His Majesty King Mohammed VI and President Julius Maada Bio.

In this regard, Morocco and Sierra Leone have agreed to prepare for the high joint commission meeting early next year in Freetown, along with the opening of a Moroccan diplomatic representation in the capital of Sierra Leone and the organization of a business Forum, noted MFA Bourita.

In accordance with the vision of the two Heads of State, Rabat and Freetown have also agreed to dedicate 70 scholarships to Sierra Leonean students, including twenty in the southern provinces.

As part of the coordination and solidarity between the two countries, Morocco and Sierra Leone have also agreed to mutually support their respective candidatures within regional and international organizations. In this context, Morocco will support Sierra Leone's candidacy for the position of non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the period 2024-2025, said MFA Bourita.

These decisions, are part of the vision of the two Heads of State and in line with the bilateral cooperation roadmap that was signed today, he concluded.

For his part, Mr. David J Francis announced that, in view of the distinguished relations between our two countries, Sierra Leone will inaugurate an Embassy in Rabat and a Consulate General in Dakhla.

A decision that illustrates the ambition of both countries to strengthen the bilateral cooperation and the exchange of experience in several fields.

In this regard, Mr. Francis expressed the support of his country for the gas pipeline project to link Nigeria and Morocco. "Trade and investment are a very important component, but so is the political component, which is why we are supporting the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project," he declared.   

The Sierra Leonean Minister also stated that his country "has no doubt that this project will be beneficial to it, in the same way as the other countries of the West African sub-region", stressing that "this demonstrates Morocco's leadership and global position in support of energy security and access to electricity".