Morocco and Ivory Coast strengthen strategic partnership in Rabat

Morocco and Côte d’Ivoire have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening their strategic partnership following high-level talks held in Rabat on May 21, 2026. The meeting between Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and Ivorian Foreign Minister Nialé Kaba concluded with the signing of a joint communiqué covering bilateral cooperation, Morocco’s African initiatives, and key regional issues.

Expanding a long-standing partnership

The visit highlighted both countries’ ambition to deepen coordination across more than 100 existing bilateral agreements covering multiple sectors. According to officials, the strengthened partnership aims to support African integration and shared prosperity through expanded economic, institutional, and private-sector cooperation. Economic ties between the two countries are already well established, with annual exchanges exceeding 1.2 billion CFA francs. Morocco also remains one of the leading African investors in Côte d’Ivoire, particularly in infrastructure, industry, real estate, and security-related sectors.

“An exemplary cooperation”

Speaking after the talks, Nasser Bourita described the relationship as “modern, refined, and referential,” highlighting the depth of cooperation between the two countries and the role of the private sector in driving investment projects across the continent.

For her part, Nialé Kaba praised the quality of relations between the two “brotherly countries,” noting that Moroccan investments have become increasingly dynamic and structurally important for the Ivorian economy.

She also emphasized the importance of Morocco’s support in education and training, including an increase in scholarships offered to Ivorian students—from 150 to 200 annually—as part of broader human capital development efforts linked to Côte d’Ivoire’s 2026–2030 national development plan.

A key axis for African cooperation

The Rabat–Abidjan partnership continues to be presented as a model of South-South cooperation in Africa, driven by close political alignment and expanding economic ties under the leadership of King Mohammed VI and President Alassane Ouattara.

Officials on both sides say the relationship remains a central pillar for regional integration and long-term development across the continent.