Iran Press/ Africa: The two meetings took place on Thursday on the sidelines of the 43rd Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Executive Council meeting, which was held in Nairobi on July 13-14, according to MAP.
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita discussed with Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Demeke Mekonnen Hassen ways to develop bilateral ties in various sectors, said the report.
Bourita also met with Malawian Foreign Minister Nancy Tembo, reviewing bilateral cooperation fruits and examining prospects for strengthening these cooperations, it added.
The AU meeting kicked off on Thursday in Nairobi, with a focus on regional integration in Africa.
Morocco’s joining the African Union in January 2017 rectified the empty-chair policy that led Rabat to withdraw from the Organization of African Unity in 1984 after full membership was extended to the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
Its absence from this multilateral forum prevented Morocco from participating in the refounding of the organization in 2001, when it was transformed into the African Union (AU). It also meant it could not take part in regional development initiatives for Africa like NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa’s Development). Moroccan diplomacy opted for a proactive approach in an attempt to minimize the impact of its absence and to compensate for this through selective bilateralism with “friendly” countries from French-speaking Central and West Africa.
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