Germany and Morocco pledged to strengthen their cooperation to help resolve conflicts in Libya and the Sahel region, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Thursday.

Mr Baerbock, who said this after a meeting in Berlin with her Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita, explained that in addition to energy policy and vocational training, cooperation on security issues is to be expanded.

The situation in Mali and working together with Niger to improve security in the Sahel region of West Africa were reportedly also discussed in detail.

In cooperation with the United Nations, both countries want to advocate progress in the peace process in Libya and therefore stand up for elections, stability, peace and compliance with human rights, Mr Baerbock said.

Mr Bourita emphasised that the two countries’ positions in the Middle East and Libya largely coincided.

To solve conflict in the Middle East, he called for a two-state solution in which Israel could coexist in peace with a Palestinian state.

“For us, unilateral steps or provocative steps by the Israeli authorities are not constructive,” he said. “They do not lead to an atmosphere of trust.”

As the European Union’s closest neighbour in southern Europe, Morocco is also a key country in terms of migration – both as a country of origin and as a transit country. Baerbock referred to recent EU migration agreements as a tool to try and solve migration issues of mutual interest. 

(dpa/NAN)