In an interview with the French magazine Le Point, the Moroccan diplomat highlighted the challenges of the Kingdom's mediation in the crisis facing Mali, in the light of the recent visit of minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, on High Instructions of HM King Mohammed VI.

"The only challenge (of the Moroccan mediation) is peace and our collective security. It is also our duty to help as much as possible a brotherly country that is going through difficult times. Mali is a member of ECOWAS, but it is also a member of the African Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the International Organization of the Francophonie," Naciri said.

For the Moroccan ambassador, also doyen of the diplomatic corps in Bamako, the interest of the Kingdom also draws its explanation from history, the brotherhood of peoples and the need to support any approach promoting peace in the region.

Morocco and Mali are linked by "centuries-old relations that existed even before the establishment of our respective States. Intense, multifaceted and uninterrupted ties (...), which it is therefore up to us to maintain and perpetuate," said the Moroccan diplomat.