ASEAN, Morocco launch sectoral dialogue partnership
Jakarta (VNA) – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
and Morocco have convened the inaugural ASEAN-Morocco Joint
Sectoral Cooperation Committee (AM-JSCC) Meeting in
Jakarta, Indonesia, marking the launch of the formal partnership
where both sides identified several cooperative projects and programmes in
areas of common interest and mutual benefit.
The meeting adopted the Terms of Reference for AM-JSCC
and deliberated on several areas of future cooperation. On the political
sphere, the meeting looked forward to exploring cooperation in the four
priority areas of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), as well as in
the areas of peace and reconciliation, combating transnational crime, including
prevention and countering terrorism and violent extremism.
On the
economic front, the meeting looked forward to intensifying cooperation in the
areas of trade, business and investments; public-private partnership; strengthening
of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs); building resilience
against future shocks in the financial sector; sustainable
tourism; transport; renewable energy and energy transition; information and
communication technology; telecommunication; aerospace
engineering; food and
agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture and forestry, including green innovation
and halal food production; digital economy; creative economy; and Science and Technology,
including research and innovation..
On the socio-cultural
sphere, the meeting sought to explore cooperation in the areas of environment
and climate change; biodiversity; combating
human trafficking; preservation of cultural heritage; health and education, including scientific research; circular
economy; and step-up efforts to enhance people-to-people contacts through
exchange programmes involving youth, students, media and artists as well as
scholarships programmes.
In the cross-pillar sector, the meeting
looked forward to exploring cooperation in connectivity, including but not
limited to promoting local currency transactions and electric vehicle ecosystem
as well as enhancing maritime connectivity; sustainable and smart cities; Initiative
for ASEAN Integration (IAI) and Narrowing the Development Gap; sustainable
development; and supporting ASEAN as epicentrum of growth. Both sides also
agreed to develop the ASEAN-Morocco Practical Cooperation Areas which will
serve as a guiding framework in achieving shared goals and corresponding
priorities in the coming years.
The meeting was co-chaired
by the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Community and Corporate Affairs,
Tran Duc Binh, and Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to
ASEAN, Ouadia Benabdellah. The Committee of Permanent
Representatives to ASEAN or their representatives, and their respective
delegations were also in attendance. Representatives from Timor-Leste attended
as an observer.
Earlier, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers
conferred the status of Sectoral Dialogue Partner to Morocco at their meeting held on September 4 in Jakarta. The AM-JSCC meeting
was convened to provide direction and oversee all aspects of cooperation under
the ASEAN-Morocco Sectoral Dialogue Partnership framework./.