Casablanca – Morocco has reiterated its support for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries following what it described as Iranian aggression, with Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita pointing to recent phone calls between King Mohammed VI and several Gulf leaders as a sign of Morocco’s solidarity.
Speaking on Thursday during the eighth joint ministerial meeting between Morocco and the GCC, held by videoconference, Bourita said the calls made by the Moroccan monarch reflected the depth of the relationship between Morocco and the Gulf states.
He said the contacts were a clear expression of Morocco’s “firm and constant” solidarity with its partners in the region.
Bourita also renewed Morocco’s support for the Gulf countries after what he described as an unjustified Iranian attack. Morocco, he said, stands with the GCC states in the measures they take to defend their sovereignty, maintain their security, and ensure the safety of their citizens and residents.
The minister referred to remarks made by King Mohammed VI during the Morocco-Gulf summit held in Saudi Arabia in April 2016, when the King stressed that ties between Morocco and the Gulf countries go beyond geographic distance.
Despite being located in different regions, the countries share strong cultural and religious links as well as common values and similar security challenges, Bourita recalled.
He said current developments highlight the need to deepen the strategic partnership between Morocco and the Gulf states, noting that national security today is no longer limited to military issues but also includes economic and social resilience.
According to Bourita, Morocco intends to continue strengthening cooperation with the GCC under the guidance of King Mohammed VI, building on shared priorities and coordinated positions on a number of regional and international issues.
The minister welcomed the decision to extend the joint Morocco-GCC action plan through 2030 and called for greater involvement from private sector actors and sovereign wealth funds, particularly in investment and business exchanges.
Bourita also praised the continued support of Gulf countries for Morocco’s territorial integrity.
Read also: Gulf States Thank King Mohammed VI for Solidarity Against Iranian Aggression
GCC countries have since thanked Morocco for its stance in support, with Gulf ministers expressing sincere gratitude to King Mohammed VI for the country’s “fraternal and active solidarity” during the ongoing crisis.
Speaking at the same ministerial meeting, officials welcomed the King’s early diplomatic outreach to GCC leaders at the onset of the escalation, describing it as a clear signal of Morocco’s support and the depth of longstanding ties between Rabat and Gulf capitals.
On the Palestinian issue, Bourita reiterated Morocco’s position that a just and lasting solution remains essential for peace and stability in the region.
He noted that King Mohammed VI, as chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, continues to call for renewed international and regional efforts to reach a two-state solution that would allow Palestinians to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The ongoing regional war in the Middle East began on February 28 with an initial US-Israeli strike on Iran’s sovereign territory — killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, other head leaders and reportedly over 170 schoolchildren. Iran retaliated striking US targets in Gulf countries — strikes that have since continued on hitting civilian infrastructure.