Mike Waltz, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, met with Gideon Sa’ar and Nasser Bourita, foreign ministers respectively of Israel and Morocco, in New York City to discuss “unlimited opportunities of the relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the State of Israel,” the three countries stated jointly on Wednesday.
The three countries said that they met under the joint declaration that the trio made on Dec. 22, 2020, and that they they were “undaunted by regional challenges” when they “reaffirm the spirit of the Abraham Accords and continue to believe the establishment of full diplomatic, peaceful and friendly relations between Morocco and Israel is in the common interest of both countries.”
Such relations will also “advance the cause of peace and unlock new opportunities for the entire region,” the three said. “The parties look forward to enhancing their trilateral cooperation in the international arena.”
The three reaffirmed details of the 2020 declaration, including full diplomatic Moroccan-Israeli relations and exchange of envoys. “They agreed to take the necessary measures for prompt reinstatement of direct flights between Morocco and Israel, including by Israeli and Moroccan airline companies before the end of the year,” the three nations said.
By year’s end, they also said that they would finalize “agreements on the protection of investments and the avoidance of double taxation, which will facilitate reciprocal investments and help promote economic and business ties between the peoples and countries.”
Washington and Jerusalem said that they continue to recognize that Morocco has sovereignty over the “entire Western Sahara territory” and that they “recognize the special ties between Moroccan monarchs and the Moroccan Jewish community living in Morocco and throughout the world including in the United States and Israel.”
“This cooperation continues to strengthen bilateral and trilateral relations and offers practical solutions that benefit the peoples of the region,” the trio said of their agreement. “The participants agreed to advance high level visits in the coming months.”
