Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, stated, on July 18 in Rabat, that Morocco is committed to preserving the rights of the Moroccan community abroad when concluding international agreements.
In a statement to the press, Bourita stressed that Morocco, with its commitment to global efforts to combat tax evasion, terrorism financing, and money laundering, refuses to take any action that might undermine the rights of the Moroccan community abroad, which enjoys the special attention of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
The Foreign Minister’s statement comes following a legislative session at the House of Representatives, during which it was unanimously decided to postpone the vote on two bills approving, respectively, the multilateral agreement between competent authorities on the exchange of country-by-country reporting and the multilateral agreement between competent authorities on the automatic exchange of financial account information, which Morocco initialed on June 25, 2019.
In a similar context, the Moroccan official noted that the government had closely followed the debate sparked by certain provisions of these conventions, particularly among members of the Moroccan community abroad, “who raised legitimate questions and a series of pertinent comments.”
Bourita also added that interaction with the Parliament through the House of Representatives, whether within the framework of the Foreign Affairs, National Defense, Islamic Affairs, and Moroccan Expatriates Committee or during the legislative session, revealed that deputies expressed the same concerns, underlining that the government “has provided a clear response on this issue, as Moroccans abroad are given special solicitude on the part of His Majesty the King.”
The Moroccan minister also confirmed that the provisions of these agreements that are the subject of debate will be explained, if necessary, to clear up any confusion and avoid any misinterpretation in the future, noting that the government is prepared to “provide additional guarantees, if necessary, through amendments to certain clauses.”
In this respect, the Foreign Minister noted that the government had positively welcomed the postponement of the vote on these two bills to clarify or renegotiate these agreements.
“All issues touching on the Moroccan community living abroad are important and all concerns and remarks must be taken into consideration,” underlined Bourita, stressing that no convention “is to be approved before ensuring that all necessary guarantees are met and that the rights of the Moroccan community abroad will not be affected in any way.”
The seven international conventions, unanimously approved by the House of Representatives during the same legislative session, strengthen Morocco’s relations with its Arab, African, and Islamic neighbors and are part of the implementation of His Majesty King Mohammed VI’s high directives to consolidate Morocco’s international relations, diversify its partnerships, and expand its cooperation with other States. These seven conventions include two bilateral agreements, four regional agreements, and one multilateral agreement.