This decision has several legal, political and diplomatic significations, with regards to the strengthening of the dynamic of support for the Moroccanity of the Sahara and the renewal of full support for the legitimate claims of the Kingdom on this part of its territory, Mr. Bourita pointed out at a joint press briefing with his Burkinabe counterpart, Alpha Barry, following the inauguration ceremony of the Consulate General of Burkina Faso in Dakhla.

The Minister also highlighted the strength of bilateral relations and the regular political consultations between the two countries on several regional and international issues, with the strong support of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and His Excellency the President of Burkina Faso, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré.

Mr. Bourita also stressed that the inauguration of this diplomatic representation will also contribute to the strengthening of economic cooperation between the two countries, in line with the important place that the Sovereign gives to the city of Dakhla as an economic locomotive given that it constitutes a real link between Morocco and its African depth.

In this regard, he underscored the importance of the Moroccan economic presence in Burkina Faso and its role in supporting development programs in this country, noting that around 10% of the Kingdom's foreign investments in the African continent are concentrated in Burkina Faso, through a strong presence of Moroccan banks and companies working in the areas of telecommunications, insurance and construction.

Mr. Bourita said that the opening of this Consulate General in Dakhla also makes it possible to develop bilateral relations in terms of training, recalling that Morocco has provided, for years, training for hundreds of Burkinabe experts and students, with the granting of 150 training scholarships each year at institutes in the Kingdom.

On this occasion, it was agreed to grant 30 additional scholarships for Burkina Faso in training institutes in Dakhla in various fields such as tourism, handicraft, health, management and trade.

Mr. Bourita also underlined the permanent cooperation between Morocco and Burkina Faso in the security and military fields, highlighting the unwavering support of the Kingdom of Morocco to Burkina Faso in the fight against terrorism, in particular through the presence of a section of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema in this country.

At the end of this meeting, Mr. Bourita and Barry signed an agreement between the government of Burkina Faso and the Kingdom of Morocco, on the abolition of visas for nationals of the two countries holding ordinary passports.