In a joint press conference, Mr. Nasser Bourita pointed out that The Gambia stood out as a major player in the various regional initiatives launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI in favor of the African continent.

The Minister pointed out that The Gambia was one of the founding countries of the Rabat Process, which aims to give the Afro-Atlantic area its rightful geopolitical place as a platform for consultation and coordination, notably through cooperation in the blue economy, support for development projects on the Afro-Atlantic coastline, the fight against pollution of the Atlantic Ocean, in addition to strengthening security coordination and the fight against piracy and smuggling networks.

The Gambia, he added, has a key role to play in the Royal Initiative aimed at linking the Sahel region to the Atlantic Ocean by making Morocco's infrastructure available to the countries of the region, on the basis that the problems of the African Sahel are more economic than security-related, calling for the focus to be not just on solving the problems of the Sahel region, but also on promoting opportunities for the region's countries and their young people to engage in a positive development dynamic.

Mr. Nasser Bourita pointed out that The Gambia is directly concerned by the Morocco-Nigeria Gas Pipeline project, to which His Majesty King Mohammed VI is paying particular attention, noting that this country will make an undeniable contribution to the implementation of this project.

Morocco and The Gambia aspire to elevate their relations to the level of a tangible and multidimensional partnership, said, on Thursday in Dakhla, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita.

Mr. Nasser Bourita stressed that the holding of this commission is a starting point for raising the friendship and solidarity linking the two countries to a concrete and multidimensional partnership, within the framework of the vision of the Heads of State of the two countries, His Majesty King Mohammed VI and His Excellency President Adama Barrow."

This joint commission, held ten years after the last session, aims to reactivate this important mechanism in relations between the two countries, he said, pointing out that The Gambia was the first country to open a consulate in the city of Dakhla.

The holding of this joint cooperation commission comes in the context of the positive development that Morocco-Gambian relations are undergoing, in line with the vision of the leaders of the two countries, he noted, adding that this commission is also an opportunity to capitalize on the achievements and explore new prospects for bilateral relations in the years to come.

Morocco and The Gambia are not only brotherly and friendly countries but also solid partners in various fields, thanks to consultation and coordination based on the principles of solidarity and mutual support, he pointed out, recalling that The Gambia has always been a powerful and reliable ally of Morocco with regard to the question of the Moroccan Sahara.

Mr. Nasser Bourita also pointed out that relations between the two countries have undergone significant development in the economic sphere, noting in this connection the work being done to hold a Morocco-Gambian economic forum next May.

On the humanitarian front, the minister stated that The Gambia is one of the countries that benefit significantly from grants offered by Morocco, in terms of both academic and professional training, adding that sectors such as youth, the environment, climate change, tourism, and sports are also priority areas in the bilateral cooperation relationship for the years to come.

Morocco has been following with interest the reforms undertaken by president Adama Barrow since his election as head of the Republic of The Gambia, with a view to promoting the country's stability and development, said Mr. Nasser Bourita.

He noted that, as part of the Gambian president's vision for the security and stability of his country, Morocco can share its experience with The Gambia, in line with the enlightened vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI in terms of South-South cooperation.

The 3rd session of the Morocco-Gambia joint cooperation commission is an opportunity to explore new prospects for strengthening bilateral cooperation and establishing fruitful partnerships in several areas.

Co-chaired by Mr. Nasser Bourita and his Gambian counterpart, in the presence of Mohamed Methqal, ambassador and director-general of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI), and representatives of several government sectors from both countries, this session of the Morocco-Gambia joint cooperation commission was crowned by the signing of 11 agreements covering several areas of bilateral cooperation.

On his part, The Gambian Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, Mr. Mamadou Tangara, praised HM King Mohammed VI's International Initiative to promote access to the Atlantic Ocean for Sahel countries.

Mr.Tangara stressed that this initiative is aimed at finding solutions to the crises raging in the Sahel region.

Recalling HM King Mohammed VI's historic visit to Gambia in February 2006, during which eight cooperation agreements were signed, the Minister noted that it was a clear gesture of the Kingdom's desire to strengthen bilateral ties and support Gambia's development.

Mr. Tangara also commended the Kingdom's support for his country's hosting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit, emphasizing Morocco's expertise in organizing internationally renowned events.

In terms of security, Mr. Tangara expressed his admiration for Moroccan leadership in this area, reiterating his country's willingness to work with the Kingdom to promote security and stability in the region and give fresh impetus to their bilateral relations.

The Gambian Minister stressed that his country unambiguously supports Morocco's sovereignty over its Sahara.

He emphasized that Gambia is working to ensure that Morocco's proposed autonomy initiative for the Sahara is better understood, noting that it is the "best solution" for putting an end to this regional dispute.

In the same vein, the Gambian Minister lauded Morocco's support for Gambians through the granting of around a hundred scholarships, with the aim of strengthening the country's development capacities.

He emphasized the quality of these training courses, which enable Gambian human resources to help build a promising future.

During their meeting, the two officials signed eleven cooperation agreements covering a wide range of fields.