King Mohammed VI Greenlights 11 Global Agreements at Rabat Ministerial Council
Rabat – During today's ministerial council at the Royal Palace in Rabat, chaired by King Mohammed VI, the Moroccan government approved 11 major international conventions.
These agreements are set to exponentially expand Morocco's global partnerships across three continents and reinforce its diplomatic standing.
The newly ratified conventions include eight agreements with African nations, two with Asian partners, and one with a European country.
Six of these agreements were signed in the cities of Laâyoune and Dakhla – a strong affirmation of international recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara.
These comprehensive agreements cover multiple sectors including judicial and customs cooperation, higher education and scientific research collaboration, as well as transportation, logistics and energy infrastructure development.
A particularly notable achievement is Morocco's designation as permanent host of the African Union of the Blind (AFUB) headquarters, cementing the country's leadership role in continental affairs.
The international conventions were approved alongside major military reforms and high-level Interior Ministry appointments, indicative of Morocco's balanced approach to bolstering both its domestic governance and foreign relations.
The timing of these ratifications, coinciding with important domestic reforms, note Morocco's multidimensional approach to national development and international engagement.
Today's approvals continue Morocco's trajectory as a regional leader and active global partner.
The inclusion of Western Sahara locations in these major agreements marks another milestone in Morocco's diplomatic efforts to further develop the region.
One telling instance is France's recent expansion of its visa services to Laayoune, the largest city in Morocco's southern provinces, a move that many see as a major political gesture of support for Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Morocco World
15 hours ago
- Morocco World
Spain Confronts Growing Terror Threat Tied to Polisario Front
Rabat – Spanish intelligence services are raising alarms over a mounting terrorist threat linked to the Polisario Front, as extremist factions in the Sahel expand their operations and deepen ties to radicalized individuals with European connections. At the heart of the concern is the Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP), which has emerged as one of the most violent groups operating in the region. Security sources cited by La Vanguardia indicate that some high-ranking members of the group are Sahrawis who spent their early years in the Tindouf camps and later participated in the 'Holidays in Peace' program, which allowed them to spend summers in Spain. Now fluent in Spanish, these individuals are believed to have the potential to encourage terrorist acts on European soil. 'These are not distant actors,' a Spanish intelligence official said. 'They know our cities, our language, and our way of life.' The link between terrorism and the Polisario Front, the separatist movement seeking to divide Morocco's southern provinces, is now drawing new scrutiny. Sources close to the counterterrorism community argue that the presence of radicalized Sahrawis in terror networks like ISWAP points to deeper ideological and operational overlaps. Calls are growing in some quarters for Spain and its European partners to officially recognize the Polisario Front as a terrorist organization. The threat is not limited to individuals. The broader picture shows a Sahel region descending into chaos, with Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger becoming ungovernable zones. Terrorist groups there are no longer confined to isolated attacks. They now control vast rural territories and have shown the capability to destabilize state institutions. While much of Europe's attention remains on the war in Ukraine and the eastern front, Spain's southern flank is becoming increasingly vulnerable. Terrorist cells could exploit both their proximity to the Iberian Peninsula and the well-established migratory routes. In the past year, most migrants arriving in the Canary Islands have come from this region. Though most are fleeing conflict and poverty, the risk remains that terrorist networks could infiltrate these flows to move operatives toward European soil. Spain's Ministry of Defense has expressed regret over the withdrawal of European forces from the Sahel, seeing it as a strategic mistake. 'We underestimated the long-term consequences of leaving a vacuum,' one official noted. Though some analysts believe terrorist organizations in the region face internal leadership disputes and logistical challenges, the possibility of a shift in their strategy remains real, and dangerous. Spanish police recently arrested two young Sahrawis from the Tindouf camps in the Basque Country's Alava region, as concerns mount over radicalization within the camps. Authorities have charged the pair with collaborating with terrorist groups and promoting terrorism, according to multiple reports. The arrests follow renewed calls from American policymakers and think tanks urging the US to officially classify the Polisario Front as a terrorist organization. Tags: PolisarioPolisario FrontSahelSpainterrorism
Morocco World
19 hours ago
- Morocco World
UK, France Backtrack on Recognizing Palestine
Rabat – The UK and France have abandoned earlier plans to recognize a Palestinian state at an upcoming international conference in New York, scheduled for June 17–20. The two countries had previously hinted at using the event as a platform to announce its recognition, following lobbying from France and growing support across Europe. Instead of immediate recognition, the UK and France are now pushing for a list of preconditions to be met before any future move, including a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the release of Israeli captives, reforms within the Palestinian Authority, reconstruction of Gaza, and the removal of Hamas from power. French president Emmanuel Macron had earlier described recognition as a 'moral duty and political requirement,' framing it as part of a possible exchange in which Saudi Arabia might move to recognize Israel. In recent days, France informed Israeli officials that recognition would not take place during the conference. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot defended the reversal, calling recognition at this stage merely 'symbolic' and citing France's responsibility as a UN Security Council member to act in line with its allies. In response, Kenneth Roth, former director of Human Rights Watch, cautioned that these conditions could become another 'endless' process used to stall Palestinian statehood. 'Those steps should not be an endless (nonexistent) 'peace process' but pressure on Israel to stop obstructing a state,' he said. Despite mounting European support, both France and the UK have come under pressure from the United States to shelve their plans. British Foreign Officials had told Middle East Eye earlier this month that the US has cautioned them against formal recognition, pushing them to step back from any such commitments. In a blatant show of disregard for international law, Israel announced plans to build 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank in retaliation for the UK-France consideration to recognize Palestine. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant declared the expansion 'a strategic move that prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state' — erasing the pretence of a two-state solution with an apartheid state. Even as Israel carries out a livestreamed genocide against over two million Palestinians—deliberately starving them into famine—international efforts to recognize Palestinian statehood remain entangled in appeasement of Israeli demands. Since October 2023, Israel has killed at least 54,000 people—a conservative estimate that excludes tens of thousands buried under rubble, dismembered beyond recognition, or literally vaporized by its latest genocidal weapons.
Morocco World
a day ago
- Morocco World
Spain Invests €481 million in Imports of Morocco's Fruits and Vegetables in Q1
Rabat – Spain imported 188,076 tons of fruits and vegetables from Morocco in the first quarter of 2025, spending a total of € 481 million. The produce imported from Morocco has increased in volume by 24% and in value by 23% compared to the same period last year, according to new data from the agriculture-focused website FreshPlaza. The same source forecasts a continuous trend in the import of Morocco's goods to Spain, citing data from Fepex, which detailed that the import volume of Moroccan goods to Spanish shelves increased in volume by 20% in the last five years. This means that the imports went from 156,229 tons in January to March of 2021 to 188,076 tons within the same period in 2025. The value also increased by 54%, from €311 million to € 481 million. Tomatoes top the list of Moroccan produce imported by Spain, followed by pepper and green beans. General vegetable exports went from 24,118 tons in the first quarter of 2024 to 32,313 tons in the same period in 2025. This represents a 34% increase. Moroccan tomato imports have led to a displacement of Spanish tomatoes. This is partially because the entry prices, established in the EU's Association Agreement with Morocco, have become obsolete – not fulfilling their function of protecting the EU market – and therefore boosting imports. Several reports have highlighted Morocco's leadership in tomato exports, a market that now spans 6 countries, with the UK alone representing 18% of the total. Demand for Morocco's produce, however, has been met with backlash and frustration from European producers. Several videos have surfaced online, showing trucks loading Moroccan vegetables and fruits vandalized by European farmers in different countries, especially France and Spain. Farmers argue that these acts are in protest against what they perceive as 'unfair' competition from non-European countries. Tags: agricultural exportsfood imports
