Germany wishes to conclude with Morocco a military cooperation agreement, other specific defense agreements
Germany has expressed the wish to relaunch bilateral collaboration with Morocco through the sealing of a military cooperation agreement, to be followed by specific agreements in the fields of defense and the protection of classified information.
The wish was expressed by German Minister Delegate for Defense Thomas Hitschler, who is on a working visit to the Kingdom, at a meeting held this Monday in Rabat with Minister Delegate in charge of the National Defense Administration Abdeltif Loudyi.
Discussions at the meeting, which was attended by Lieutenant General Mohammed Berrid, Inspector General of Royal Armed Forces and Commander of the South Zone, covered topics of common interest and ways of further boosting cooperation in military matters, the fight against terrorism, illegal immigration, cross-border crime, and illicit trafficking.
In this vein, the German official expressed his country’s desire to relaunch bilateral collaboration by concluding a military cooperation agreement, to be followed by specific agreements in the fields of defense and the protection of classified information.
Loudyi took the opportunity to highlight Morocco’s role as a key player in stability and peace under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, through the adoption of a multidimensional strategy to counter the threats of terrorism and illicit trafficking, and ensure secure borders.
The fight against these scourges, Loudyi stressed, is a shared responsibility and would benefit from a collective and consistent effort at bilateral and European Union level.
Loudyi also highlighted the Royal Initiative aimed at transforming Africa’s Atlantic coastline into a hub of economic integration, an area of shared peace, stability, and prosperity, including all the African countries bordering on the Atlantic.
The Royal Initiative also aims to facilitate access to the Atlantic Ocean for the landlocked countries of the Sahel, which, according to the royal vision, will strengthen the economic and social development of these countries, as well as security and peace in the European and Sahel-African neighborhood.
The two sides expressed their willingness to further strengthen military cooperation on the basis of mutual trust and respect, and to explore new opportunities for collaboration, particularly in the fields of training, cyber defense, and the defense industry.
The visit by the German Minister Delegate for Defense Thomas Hitschler comes just few days after that of President of Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office, Holger Münch, who held talks with Director General for National Security and Territorial Surveillance, Abdellatif Hammouchi.
The two sides discussed a range of security issues of mutual interest and underscored the importance of enhancing cooperation through the exploration of new avenues to benefit the shared interests of Morocco and Germany in the realm of security.
Talks covered a set of key topics, including a comprehensive review of ongoing operational bilateral cooperation on various security fronts, mechanisms for bolstering partnership, providing reciprocal technical assistance in police training, and conducting joint exercises.
These military and security meetings reflect the two countries’ concerted effort to bolster their collaboration, to align perspectives, coordinate efforts, and collectively confront the diverse array of security challenges and threats faced by nations today.
