Morocco is working to position itself as a global hub primed for science and education collaborations. In pursuit of these goals, the North African kingdom has created 120 scholarships for students from the Ivory Coast. The opportunity speaks to the friendly relations between Morocco and the West African country. Scholarship applications will be available until the middle of August 2019 and used for the academic year 2019-2020. This will be divided into 100 scholarships intended for university degrees and 20 for diplomas from vocational schools.
Both Morocco and Côte d’Ivoire have demonstrated consistent support for one another. On June 26th, Morocco inaugurated the Ivory Coast Consulate in Laayoune, the largest city of the disputed territory of Western Sahara. Laayoune is located 100 km south of the coastal city Tarfaya, that location that inspired the writing of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s Little Prince.
At the opening of the honorary consulate in Laayoune, Ivory Coast ambassador Idrissa Traore stated, “Thanks to the opening… the multidimensional relationships with Morocco will intensify. Beyond traditional bilateral relationships, the Ivory Coast and Morocco will also have a strategic partnership.” The Ivory Coast is known for backing Morocco’s African diplomacy agenda and West Shara Autonomy Plan.