In this respect, Mezouar handed messages from King Mohammed VI to President of Senegal Macky Sall and President of Niger Mahamadou Issoufou during visits to Dakar and Niamey. In a statement to Morocco’s news agency MAP, Mezouar said that he held talks with Niger’s President who openly expressed support for the Kingdom’s membership in the ECOWAS. Before submitting the bid to join the ECOWAS, King Mohammed VI visited several countries in the region where Morocco is one of the largest investors. So, Morocco’s request to join ECOWAS is the continuation of a decades-long process of fostering ties with the countries of the region. With the inclusion of Morocco, the ECOWAS will bolster its aggregated GDP to the 16th rank globally ahead of Turkey and right after Indonesia.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 20, 2017 17:03 UTC