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Morocco asks to join Economic Community of West Africa

Xinhua, February 25, 2017 Adjust font size:

Morocco has formerly informed the chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), president of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, of its will to join the regional bloc as a fully-fledged member.

This request is in conformity with the provisions of ECOWAS founding treaty and meets fully its adherence criteria, Morocco's foreign ministry said in a statement Friday.

Morocco has had the status of observer at ECOWAS for several years ago and has taken part in many meetings and activities of the organisation.

According to the statement, the request mirrors Morocco's commitment to address, jointly with ECOWAS member states and in solidarity with them, the challenges facing the region.

Morocco's ECOWAS adherence request underlines, tangibly, the Kingdom's recognition for the importance of this regional grouping, whose integration process is one of the most advanced and most ambitious in the African continent, the statement added.

Morocco enjoys strong relations with west African countries. The north African kingdom is already the top investor in west Africa and the second largest African investor in the continent.

Over the past years the Moroccan king has toured many times the region and signed hundreds of agreements which gave strong impetus to bilateral cooperation with 15 member states of the organization.

The north African kingdom has also participated in peacekeeping operations in the region, and in arbitration efforts to solve conflicts in the region. Endit