Qatar, Morocco sign pacts; PM chairs joint panel meet

Qatar and Morocco signed several agreements and memoranda of understanding following the 6th meeting of the Qatari-Moroccan Joint Supreme Committee held yesterday at the Emiri Diwan under the co-chairmanship of HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani and the Moroccan Prime Minister Abdelillah Benkirane.
The meeting was attended by a number of Qatari Ministers and the members of the official delegation accompanying the Moroccan prime minister.  
At the outset of the meeting, HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior welcomed the Moroccan premier and the accompanying delegation, expressing satisfaction at the ongoing progress in the two countries’ relations under the leadership of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and King Mohamed VI of Morocco.  He noted the positive results of the previous five meetings of the Joint Supreme Committee, which resulted in the signing of several agreements and memoranda of understanding between the two countries in various fields and contributed to the development and increase bilateral co-operation.
He stressed the importance of relations between Qatar and Morocco as well as determination on activating all bilateral co-operation agreements.
The Prime Minister said that the relations between the two countries have been distinguished by depth, mutual respect, convergence of visions on many issues under the extremely grave circumstances experienced by the region, calling for maintaining high levels of co-ordination and consultation to promote Arab solidarity and to ensure an active and influential Arab role in addressing the current situation in the region.
Fruitful consultation and constructive dialogue between the two countries constitute the mechanism of foreseeing the future prospects for co-operation and exploring ways to cement the base of common economic interests to meet the aspirations of the two peoples, he added.
The Prime Minister said that the sixth meeting of the joint committee is an opportunity to evaluate and review the bilateral co-operation and to put the signed agreements and memoranda of understanding into effect as well as to identify areas for new agreements.
Prime Minister of Morocco Abdelillah Benkirane stressed that the joint committee meeting is an opportunity to assess the outcomes of bilateral co-operation in various fields and to expand the horizons of the co-operation and overcome any difficulties. It is also an opportunity to deepen consultation and co-ordination and to exchange views on various issues of mutual concern, he added.
Benkirane said that Morocco aspires to raise the volume of trade exchange, strengthen Qatari investments and expand their fields, pointing out that these ambitions requires intensifying meetings between the various sectors of the governments and increasing involvement of the private sector in both countries.
Talks during the meeting dealt with bilateral relations and means to further develop them in addition to a host of regional and international issues of common concern.
HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani and the Moroccan Prime Minister Abdelillah Benkirane signed the minutes of 6th meeting of the Qatari-Moroccan Joint Supreme Committee.
They also witnessed the signing of a number of agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoU) between the two countries.
The two sides signed the following agreements and MoUs:
1. An agreement on legal and judicial co-operation.
2. An agreement on maritime transportation.
3. A co-operation agreement between Morocco’s National Ports Agency and Qatar Ports Management Company.
4. An agreement between Silatech Foundation and Morocco’s Attawfiq Micro-Finance Foundation.
5. An MoU between Qatar’s  National Committee for International Humanitarian Law and Morocco’s  National Committee for International Humanitarian Law.
6. An MoU on co-operation in the fields of oil, gas, renewable energy, electricity and energy consumption efficiency between Qatari Ministry of Energy and Industry and Moroccan Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment.
7. An MoU on 4th programme in cultural and artistic field.
8. An Mou on 2nd programme in the sport field.
9. An MoU between Qatar’s General Retirement and Social Insurance Authority and Morocco’s Deposits and Saving Fund.
HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior and the Moroccan Premier held a meeting prior to the joint committee meeting.
Following the meeting, HE the Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani hosted a luncheon banquet in honour of the Moroccan premier and the accompanying delegation.  
Later,  Moroccan Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane left Doha yesterday after a two-day visit during which he chaired the Moroccan side in the meetings of the sixth Qatari-Moroccan Joint Supreme Committee.  
The Moroccan prime minister and his accompanying delegation were seen off at  Hamad International Airport by HEthe Minister of Energy and Industry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada, Qatar’s ambassador to Morocco Abdullah bin Falah bin Abdullah al-Dosari, and Morocco’s ambassador to Qatar Al-Makki Kawan.