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Morocco to assume presidency of Western Mediterranean Transport Ministers' Group in 2026
via Le Matin2 min read
Morocco is set to take over the presidency of the Western Mediterranean Transport Ministers' Group GTMO 5+5 from Malta. This transfer will occur during the 11th Ministerial Conference of the Group, which Morocco will host in Rabat on June 23 and 24, 2026. Established in 1995, the GTMO 5+5 promotes dialogue and cooperation in transport, strengthening the Euro-Mediterranean partnership. It includes ten member countries: Spain, France, Italy, Malta, and Portugal from the northern shore, and Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya from the southern shore. The Group also involves international organizations such as the Arab Maghreb Union UMA, the European Commission, the Union for the Mediterranean UpM, the International Transport Forum FIT, the Islamic Development Bank IDB, the European Investment Bank EIB, the International Union of Railways UIC, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe UNECE. Morocco's National Company for the Study of the Strait of Gibraltar SNED and Spain's Company for Studies for a Fixed Link across the Strait of Gibraltar SECEGSA also participate. The Group's technical secretariat is provided by the Centre for Transport Studies for the Western Mediterranean CETMO. The GTMO 5+5 operates through biennial ministerial conferences with a rotating presidency between countries from both shores. These conferences monitor initiatives, examine cooperation prospects, and facilitate the presidency transfer. Each conference is preceded by an expert
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Must ReadFollowing an attack near Es-Smara prison, the United States Mission to the United Nations released a statement on May 6, denouncing the violence and asserting that the status quo cannot continue. France, through its UN representation, reiterated on May 7 that the autonomy initiative under Moroccan sovereignty is the only basis for a just and lasting peace, urging the Polisario to respect the ceasefire and UN resolutions. On May 8, during the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Japan explicitly endorsed the concept of "autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty" in a joint communiqué signed by Nasser Bourita and his Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi. Japan also committed to diplomatic and economic action based on Security Council Resolution 2797 and called for all parties to participate in discussions without preconditions, aligning with the Moroccan plan. This follows Japan's previous stance at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development, where it clarified that the presence of an unrecognized entity would not affect its position. This shift is part of a broader trend, including Mali's withdrawal of recognition for the SADR on April 10, with its Minister Abdoulaye Diop calling the Moroccan plan the only serious and credible basis for resolution. Bolivia had also suspended its recognition of the SADR weeks prior. Switzerland, the European Union, Canada, and Zambia have also adopted positions supporting the autonomy plan, citing the same UN resolution. Th
Morocco and Japan recently commemorated 70 years of diplomatic relations, reaffirming the strong bilateral ties between His Majesty King Mohammed VI and His Imperial Highness Emperor Naruhito. This milestone underscores a shared ambition to establish Rabat-Tokyo as a pillar of stability and growth, addressing global challenges with agility and solidarity. The two nations' ministers signed a joint communiqué, serving as an operational roadmap for the "Cooperation Memorandum for a Strengthened Partnership" signed in Tokyo in 2024. This communiqué institutionalizes strategic dialogue through regular political consultations to enhance coordination between their ministries. Both ministers expressed a firm determination to intensify high-level exchanges and promote cooperation across various sectors via the Morocco-Japan Joint Committee. This qualitative leap in relations structures bilateral priorities around robust, diversified, and multidimensional cooperation. Special attention will be given to cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. In development cooperation, opportunities for triangular collaboration between Morocco, Japan, and partner African countries were explored, with a commitment to sustained high-level visits for follow-up. To celebrate this jubilee and in anticipation of the 2026 World Cup, in which both countries will participate, the ministers symbolically exchanged national football team jerseys, each bearing the number 70. Japan's minister congratula
Must ReadThe European Union's Ambassador to Morocco, Dimiter Tzantchev, stated on Friday that "it is not time to escalate, but to negotiate," referencing UN Security Council Resolution 2797. He emphasized that Morocco's autonomy plan should form the basis for achieving "a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution" to the Western Sahara dispute. This statement follows several international condemnations of attacks targeting Smara and calls to preserve diplomatic efforts under the United Nations.
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