Morocco's King Mohammed VI has started an African tour that includes Gabon.
The King is expected to visit Senegal on Monday where he would meet President Macky Sall, according to Asharq Al-Awsat sources.
King Mohammed VI held talks on Wednesday with Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba at the Presidential Palace in Libreville.
The Maghreb Arabe Press reported that the meeting was an opportunity to highlight the importance of the “deep, rich, and solidly rooted relations between Morocco and Gabon,” as well as the “strong bonds of brotherhood and solidarity between the two nations.”
Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Yolande Nyonda, Minister Delegate at the Gabonese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Jean-Yves Teale, Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic of Gabon, later joined the meeting.
King Mohammed and Ondimba reviewed bilateral partnerships in all fields.
the King also supervised the handing over of a donation of 2,000 tons of fertilizers, in the presence of Ondimba.
This operation will be followed by a structural action aimed at ensuring that farmers in Gabon have access to quality fertilizers that are affordable and specifically adapted to the needs of soils and crops in the region, according to MAP.
Nyonda said that the Moroccan fertilizers could “alleviate the burdens on Gabonese farmers” as she expressed gratitude for the initiative.
The minister added that the Gabonese government is focused on a self-sufficiency program and the reduction of food imports. It relies heavily on Morocco’s support which is among the biggest fertilizer producers in Africa.
Gabon is an African country on the equator and is rich in its arable lands but faces some challenges in developing the farming sector.
The President of Gabon visited Morocco in 2010 upon the death of his father.
In 2018, Bongo received medical treatment in Morocco at the instruction of the Moroccan King. In 2021, he returned to Morocco on a “friendship and work” visit.
