Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita and his Rwandan counterpart Vincent Biruta signed two cooperation agreements in October 2020. Photo Morocco World News

Habib El Malki, the Speaker of Morocco’s House of Representatives, has commended the “good quality” of the bilateral cooperation between Morocco and Rwanda, highlighting the shared pan-African visions of the two African countries.

With pan-African commitment underlying the continental goals of both King Mohammed VI and President Paul Kagame, he explained, Rabat and Kigali have taken steps in recent months and years to deepen their bilateral cooperation on a wide range of “questions of shared interests.”

Malki made the comments on Friday while speaking during a commemorative ceremony at the Rwandan embassy in Rabat. The event was organized to commemorate the 27th anniversary of the end of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. 

In his speech, El Malki hailed the East African country for emerging from the ashes of such a tragic experience to establish itself as an assertive player and an example of development in Africa less than three decades after the genocide. 

He also lauded the values of national reconciliation, coexistence, and tolerance that allowed post-genocide Rwanda to reckon with its past of ethnic cleansing and political violence. 

The Moroccan MP went on to speak at length about the “strong relations” between the two countries and the promising prospects of their evolving, multidimensional partnership. 

For El Malki, King Mohammed VI’s and President Kagame’s resolute commitment to African solidarity and effective South-South cooperation has helped the consolidation of the diplomatic ties between Rabat and Kigali. 

El Malki’s statements come as the Moroccan and Rwandan governments multiply efforts to further their considerably improved relationship.

In August of last year, Rwanda appointed a new ambassador, Zaina Nyiramatama, with the mission of cementing the diplomatic cooperation the two countries have developed since 2007. 

Two months after Nyiramatama’s appointment, Morocco and Rwanda signed two agreements to further their cooperation on peace and security in Africa, South-South diplomacy, food security, sports, sustainable development, and the reform of the African Union (AU).

Morocco has recently signed a similar agreement with Zambia to strengthen ties in fields such as renewable energy, agriculture, infrastructure, training, water, education. Driving the agreement is Morocco’s willingness to help Zambia accomplish its economic and social development goals. - Tamba François Koundouno, Morocco World News