Team Blitz India
JAKARTA: The inaugural meeting of the Asean-Morocco Joint Sectoral Cooperation Committee (AM-JSCC), which took place at the Asean headquarters here on December 1, solidified the formal partnership between Asean and the Kingdom of Morocco.
It served as a launch pad for the collaborative journey, where both sides identified and outlined cooperative projects and programmes aligning with common interests and mutual benefits.
The status of Sectoral Dialogue Partner was accorded to Morocco by Asean Foreign Ministers during their meeting on September 4 in Jakarta. Following this conferment, the convening of the AM-JSCC was initiated to provide direction and comprehensive oversight for all aspects of cooperation under the Asean-Morocco Sectoral Dialogue Partnership framework.
Delegations meet
Co-chaired by Tran Duc Binh, the Deputy Secretary-General of Asean for Community and Corporate Affairs, and Ouadia Benabdellah, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Asean, the meeting witnessed the participation of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to Asean or their representatives, along with their respective delegations.
The meeting witnessed the adoption of the Terms of Reference for AM-JSCC and engaged in deliberations covering various areas of prospective cooperation. In the political realm, the focus was on exploring collaboration within the four priority areas of the Asean Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).
Areas of collaboration
Economically, the meeting aimed to bolster cooperation in trade, business, and investments. Strengthening of MSMEs, building resilience in financial sector, sustainable tourism, transport, and renewable energy were among the areas identified for intensified collaboration.
On the socio-cultural front, the meeting aspired to explore cooperation in environment and climate change, biodiversity, combating human trafficking, preservation of cultural heritage, health, education, and efforts to enhance people-to-people contacts.
In the cross-pillar sector, it envisioned cooperation in connectivity, encompassing the promotion of local currency transactions and electric vehicle ecosystems, and the enhancement of maritime connectivity.
