Rabat -Morocco has adopted a proactive and anticipatory multi-dimensional approach in the fight against international terrorism, said Foreign Minister, Saad Dine El Otmani on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of the Rabat conference on Cooperation on border control in the Sahel and the Maghreb.
This approach includes deterrence through the strengthening of the security and justice systems, as well as a preventive dimension through reforms in the economic, political, social, religious and educational fields, said Mr. El Otmani, noting that Morocco has joined international anti-terrorism efforts, aware of the necessity to join the efforts of all the stakeholders to combat this phenomenon.
Mr. El Otmani said Morocco’s counter-terror efforts involve national, regional and international dimension, stressing the need to promote cooperation at these levels, within the rule of law, sovereignty of states and their political, social and cultural rights.
Minister El Othmani also called for a sustainable partnership between the countries of the Sahel and the Great Maghreb, based on dialogue, cooperation and exchange of expertise to deal with various challenges related to security and the fight against terrorism.
Morocco considers that the existence of a unified Arab Maghreb may be a factor of stability in the Sahel-Saharan region, and that strong security cooperation among the Maghreb countries is the best guarantee for coordinated actions to meet the security challenges in the Sahel-Saharan region.
The three-day meeting, organized in cooperation with Morocco, and the United Nations Centre for Counter Terrorism (UNCCT) and the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF), is part of the United Nations’ global strategy to fight terrorism and provide technical assistance to States in the Sahel and the Maghreb in this area. (MAP)
