UN conference sees Morocco bolster military ties

At the meeting of the Chiefs of United Nations Troop Contributing Countries (UNTCC), Morocco has taken the opportunity to reaffirm its commitments to UN peacekeeping and multilateral cooperation, as reported by the Moroccan government-friendly North Africa Post on October 14th.

The conference opened in New Delhi, India, on October 14th and was organised by the Indian Army to discuss challenges in operations, emerging risks, and sharing lessons learned in peacekeeping missions.

The Moroccan Kingdom is being represented at the three-day event by the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), led by Brigadier General Abdelkrim Nejjar.

The conference is providing the Kingdom with an opportunity to bolster its military ties, with participation from 32 UN Troop Contributing Countries, including 15 Chiefs, 17 Vice Chiefs, and high-ranking representatives from seven nations.

On September 22nd, India and Morocco signed an agreement that would strengthen military ties between the countries, as India pledged to open its first overseas defence plant in the Moroccan city of Casablanca.

India’s Ministry of Defence said the alliance with Morocco “provides for a robust institutional framework to the growing partnership and paves the way for collaboration in the defence industry, joint exercises, military training and capacity building.”

It was reported on September 1st that the US tariffs on India for continuing to import Russian oil were prompting India to redirect investments and production to Morocco. The Kingdom offers incentives to foreign investors, including tax breaks, VAT exemptions and customs relief.

Morocco is not just strengthening its ties to India, as the New Delhi conference came one day after it was revealed that Morocco hosted new Israeli drone tests on October 13th, signalling a deepening of ties between the two nations as Israel has become one of the Kingdom’s main weapons suppliers.

Increased military cooperation is not limited to the Global South, as Morocco and France conducted a joint military exercise on June 24th. A joint security operation between the nations reportedly disrupted a planned terror attack on a religious site in Rabat, Morocco, which led to the arrest of a 21-year-old Islamic State-affiliated student by Moroccan authorities on June 28th.

On June 17th, the Kingdom’s Minister Delegate for the National Defence Administration, Abdeltif Loudyi, signed an agreement with his Ethiopian counterpart, Aysha Mohammed Mussa, to strengthen military cooperation between the two African nations.

The Kingdom’s efforts to develop international cooperation are not limited to defence, as reported on July 10th, Morocco sought to deepen economic ties with Brazil through trade and investment.

These developments in international relations come amid news that Morocco’s economy has experienced 4.8% GDP growth, although the increase has been attributed to the recovery of agricultural activity, as well as other internal industries.

North Africa Post, Maghrebi.org