Hungary and Morocco strengthen their bilateral cooperation

At a joint press conference with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, in Budapest on Wednesday, Minister Péter Szijjártó pointed out that, in addition to Europe, Africa is also among the losers of the war in Ukraine, and that skyrocketing inflation has presented both continents with serious challenges.

Péter Szijjártó then called illegal immigration an important common security challenge. He also reminded that Africa’s population will grow by 950 million by 2050, so policies that encourage people to leave their homes are very dangerous. According to him, on the contrary, a comprehensive strategy is needed for the development of Africa, within the framework of which Europe should cooperate with African countries with stable, strong economies, such as Morocco.

Besides, as he said, it is necessary to take decisive action against terrorism, one of the main causes of migration, and he also praised Morocco’s efforts in this area. He also reported that last year, Morocco became Hungary’s number one trading partner in Africa, and that trade turnover between the two countries has increased fivefold in the last fifteen years, its value now reaching USD 400 million per year.

During their discussions, Ministers Szijjártó and Bourita engaged in strengthening the bilateral ties between the two countries in the fields of trade and investment, research and innovation, as well as energy cooperation. An agreement for providing 165 fully funded scholarships by the Hungarian government to Moroccan university students in the framework of the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Programme for the years 2026-2028 was also signed during the visit.

Szijjártó said that Hungary considers the autonomy plan the basis for a solution to the Western Sahara conflict under the United Nations framework. He added that Hungary has taken note of the recent affirmations by the United States and France in support of the Moroccan initiative. The Hungarian minister also announced that he has instructed Hungary’s ambassador in Morocco to visit Morocco’s southern regions in Western Sahara, following the example of ambassadors from other major countries who have already made similar visits.

Hungary’s embassy in Morocco will now provide consular services to all Moroccan citizens across the country, Szijjártó added.

Watch the joint press conference below:

Several major countries, including the United States and France, have recently reiterated their support for Morocco’s autonomy plan, describing it as a serious and credible solution. This growing international backing reflects the country’s efforts to secure stability and development in the region. The US reaffirmed its support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan during a meeting between US Under Secretary Lisa Kenna and UN Envoy Staffan de Mistura last week.

The Moroccan minister’s visit to Hungary is part of a European tour, which provided an opportunity for several countries to reiterate their support for the Moroccan autonomy plan in order to resolve the political conflict over the Sahara.

A joint declaration, adopted following the meeting on Wednesday, 16 April in Zagreb with Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Grlic Radman, declares “The Republic of Croatia sees the Autonomy plan, proposed by Morocco in 2007 to settle the regional dispute as a solid basis for reaching a political and mutually acceptable solution in line with the relevant United Nations and Security Council resolutions”.

This support was expressed on 15 April at Chisinau (Moldova) by the Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mihai Popsoi, in a joint declaration with the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs. Mihai Popsoi expressed his support for the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco as a definitive solution to the regional dispute over the Sahara, considering it “the most serious and credible basis” for resolving the conflict.

For his part, Estonia’s minister of foreign affairs, Margus Tsahkna, on Tuesday 15 April, reiterated its support for the autonomy plan, presented in April 2007 by Morocco, to settle the Moroccan Sahara issue, describing the plan as “good, serious and credible basis for an agreed solution between all parties”, while “encouraging other governments to join this position”.

This announcement was made during a press conference following talks in Tallinn with Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, 15 April.

Read also:

• PHOTOS: Orbán warmly welcomed in Morocco
• Exclusive – Majorelle: The unrivalled taste of Morocco in the heart of Budapest – PHOTOS

Source: MTI, Moroccan press agency