Mexico–Morocco relations
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The nations of Mexico and Morocco established diplomatic relations in 1962.[1] Both nations are members of the Group of 24 and the United Nations.
History
[edit]In April 1956, Morocco obtained its independence from France. In 1961, Mexican President Adolfo López Mateos sent a presidential delegation led by Special Envoy Alejandro Carrillo Marcor and Delegate José Ezequiel Iturriaga to visit Morocco and to work toward the establishment of diplomatic relations.[2] On October 31, 1962, Mexico and Morocco formally established diplomatic relations.[1]
Relations between the two nations initially remained cordial, without any major bilateral agreements taking place. Relations became strained, however, after Mexico recognized the right to self-determination and established diplomatic relations with the government of Western Sahara in 1979.[3][1]
In 1990, Mexico established an embassy in Rabat which was inaugurated by Mexican Foreign Secretary Fernando Solana.[1] In 1991, Morocco reciprocated the gesture by opening an embassy in Mexico City, which had originally been accredited from Washington, D.C.[1]
In March 2002, Moroccan Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi attended the Monterrey Conference in the northern Mexican city of Monterrey. In October 2003, King Mohammed VI of Morocco paid a private visit to Mexico.[4] In November 2004, King Mohammed VI paid an official visit to Mexico and in February 2005, Mexican President Vicente Fox made an official visit to Morocco.[5] In January 2009, Moroccan Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi Fihri visited Mexico. In December 2009, Mexican Foreign Secretary, Patricia Espinosa paid a visit to Morocco.[1]
In 2016, an inter-institutional cooperation agreement was signed between Mexico's National Autonomous University (UNAM) and Morocco's Abdelmalek Essaâdi University to promote the exchange of scholars and students, and to conduct joint scientific research.[6] In December 2018, Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard visited Morocco to attend the Intergovernmental Conference on the Global Compact for Migration in Marrakesh.[7]
In 2024, both nations celebrated 62 years of diplomatic relations.[8]
High-level visits
[edit]High-level visits from Mexico to Morocco[2][1][5][7]
- Special Envoy Alejandro Carrillo Marcor (1961)
- Delegate José Ezequiel Iturriaga (1961)
- Foreign Secretary Fernando Solana (1990)
- Foreign Secretary José Ángel Gurría (1995)
- President Vicente Fox (2005)
- Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa (2009)
- Director General for Africa and the Middle East Jorge Álvarez Fuentes (2018)
- Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard (2018)
High-level visits from Morocco to Mexico[1][4]
- Foreign Minister Abdellatif Filali (1991)
- Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi (2002)
- King Mohammed VI (2003, 2004)
- Foreign Minister Mohamed Benaissa (2007)
- Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi Fihri (2009)
Bilateral agreements
[edit]Both nations have signed several bilateral agreements such as an Agreement on General Cooperation (1991); Agreement for the Abolition of Visas in Diplomatic, Official and Service Passports (1995); Agreement on Educational and Cultural Cooperation (2004); Memorandum of Understanding for the Establishment of a Mechanism of Consultation in Matters of Mutual Interest (2004); Agreement of Diplomatic and Academic Cooperation (2005); Agreement on Hydraulic Resource Cooperation (2005); and an Agreement to Promote Cooperation in the Modernization of Public Administration, Open Government, Transparency and to Combat Corruption (2008).[9][10]
Trade
[edit]In 2023, the two-way trade between both nations amounted to USD $653 million.[11] Mexico's main exports to Morocco include: data processing machines, telephones and mobile phones, plants, peppers and dried vegetables; chemical based products, tubes and pipes of iron or steel, tractors, parts and accessories for motor vehicles, beer and other alcoholic beverages. Morocco's main exports to Mexico include: clothing articles, chemical based products, electronic integrated circuits, parts for engines, electrical equipment, parts and accessories for motor vehicles, seeds, fruits and spores for sewing; sugar cane, glass, plastics, minerals and precious stones, and articles of iron or steel.[11]
Mexican multinational companies such as FreshKampo, Grupo Bimbo and Orbia operate in Morocco.[12]
Resident diplomatic missions
[edit]- Mexico has an embassy in Rabat.[13]
- Morocco has an embassy in Mexico City.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h Historia de relaciones diplomáticas entre México y Marruecos (in Spanish)
- ^ a b José Ezequiel Iturriaga: Rastros y Rostros - page 21 (in Spanish)
- ^ México y la SADR: 35 años de relaciones diplomáticas y lazos culturales (in Spanish)
- ^ a b Rey Mohamed VI de Marruecos llega a México en visita de Estado (in Spanish)
- ^ a b Mexico Wishes to Strengthen Friendship, Cooperation with Morocco
- ^ Firman convenio de colaboración la UNAM y la UAE de Marruecos (in Spanish)
- ^ a b Ebrard llega a Marruecos, participará en conferencia sobre migración (in Spanish)
- ^ Hoy conmemoramos el 62 aniversario de relaciones diplomáticas entre México y Marruecos (in Spanish)
- ^ Bilateral agreements between Mexico and Morocco (in Spanish)
- ^ Manual de Organización de la Dirección General para África y Medio Oriente - pages 9-19 (in Spanish)
- ^ a b Data México: Morocco
- ^ Relación Bilateral México-Marruecos (in Spanish)
- ^ Embassy of Mexico in Morocco
- ^ Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Mexico
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