Head of government Saadeddine El Othmani highlighted, Monday in Addis-Ababa, Morocco's will to further develop bilateral relations with Ethiopia, a country which «plays a significant role in Africa». «Morocco is driven by the will to consolidate relations with Ethiopia which plays a significant role in Africa. Morocco highly regards African relations», El Othmani told the press following his meeting with Ethiopian Prime minister Abiy Ahmed, on the sidelines of the African Union (AU) Summit, which opened Sunday in the Ethiopian capital. The talks with Abiy Ahmed are part of a series of permanent meetings with Ethiopian officials, after King Mohammed VI's visit to Ethiopia in 2016, with the aim of developing relations between the two countries, mainly in economy, said El Othmani, adding that many issues have been dealt with during the meeting. The talks were held in the presence of minister delegate for African Cooperation, Mouhcine Jazouli, and Morocco's ambassador to Ethiopia, Nezha Alaoui Mhammdi. El Othmani leads the Moroccan delegation to the Summit, which consists of minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Nasser Bourita, and the minister delegate for African Cooperation. This major event is marked by the launch of the 2019 AU theme: «The year of refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons: Towards durable solutions to forced displacement in Africa».
