"We are really on the side of Morocco" regarding the Moroccanity of the Sahara, Moubelet Boubeya told reporters following talks held at the Gabonese consulate general with the wali of the region Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra, governor of the province of Laayoune, Abdeslam Bekrate.
The inauguration in the beginning of this year of a consulate general in the city of Laayoune "is not symbolic, but a true act which confirms our unwavering and constant support to Morocco", the minister underlined.
It is, in fact, to reaffirm "our position on the Moroccanity of this territory", he said, while commending the excellence of the relations of friendship and fraternity binding the two African countries, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI and the President of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba.
During these talks, Bekrate highlighted the natural and economic assets of the Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra region, which aims to become a pioneering economic pole at the national level and a hub for trade between Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, thanks to the development model of the southern provinces, launched by HM King Mohammed VI in 2015.
The wali also underscored the varied offer in higher education and vocational training in the region, citing, in this regard, the Higher School of Technology (EST) and the various institutes under the Office for Vocational Training and Work Promotion (OFPPT).
This offer, he added, will be further strengthened in the near future with the completion of two flagship projects, namely the Faculty of Medicine and the City of Trades and Skills, while voicing the "full disposal" of the Region to welcome Gabonese students wishing to continue their studies in Laayoune.
On Wednesday, Mr. Moubelet Boubeya had talks in Rabat with the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita. He also held a meeting on Thursday in Casablanca with the president of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), Chakib Alj.