By Manal El Warraky
The heads of state and government of the twenty-seven European Union countries adopted the positions they reached, and expressed unanimously during a meeting held in Brussels their support and adherence to the “strategic partnership” with Morocco, which the European Union attaches “great value.”
At the end of its official meeting, the European Council, the highest authority in the European Union, confirmed its commitment to “strengthening and” preserving “the partnership in all areas, a collective position that is in line with the position adopted by the twenty-seven European foreign ministers on October 14.
The heads of state and government also reaffirmed that the European Council and the Council “will continue to determine foreign policy in accordance with the treaties”, as they are the sovereign powers of the member states.
This political declaration, with an important purpose, adopted by all European leaders constitutes another blow to the pressures that some parties tried to exert by summoning the ambassadors of the twelve countries who expressed their support for Morocco on behalf of their governments immediately following the issuance of the European Union court’s ruling.
This joint European position in support of Morocco comes as a stinging response from the European Union to the opponents of the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco.
With this collective position taken at the highest level in the European Union, it can be said that the succession of endorsements, which has rarely happened, from many countries and institutions active in the international system, including political institutions and decision-making bodies in the Union The European Union, such as the European Council, the Council of the European Union, the European External Action Service and the European Commission, add to the statements made by a large number of individual Member States in clear and full support for the territorial integrity of Morocco and the importance of the Kingdom of Morocco and the value of the partnership with it.
On the other hand, it is noted that rarely have decisions of the Court of Justice aroused such discontent within the European Union itself.
Thus, the conclusions adopted by European leaders on Thursday confirm the positive direction and strategic nature of the joint declaration made by the President of the Commission, Ms. von der Leyen, and the High Representative on October 4.
In a related context, the conclusions, unanimously approved by the 27 countries, constitute a reinforcement not only of the positive and collective momentum generated in many EU Member States following the decision of the European Court of Justice of October 4, but also chart a course for the future, in continuing to strengthen the strategic and historical relationship between the Kingdom of Morocco and the European Union in all areas.
Finally, these statements issued by all EU member states and institutions send a clear political message and respond with one voice to the unacceptable attempts by opponents of Morocco’s territorial integrity to exert pressure and interfere in the affairs of member states and their sovereign institutions in an internal issue concerning the EU and its partnership with the Kingdom.
Observers believe that the dissatisfaction of some parties with the support of 12 European countries for Morocco confirms their feeling of rejection and complete isolation, after the conclusions expressed unanimously by the leaders of the 27 European countries, and the strength of the European Union and its member states’ commitment to the partnership with Morocco.
