Morocco Wants Stronger Ties with Brazil

King Mohammed VI said Morocco is looking forward to further foster ties with Brazil after the election of Jair Bolsonaro as new President.

in a congratulatory message to the new President, the King highlighted the friendly ties of mutual esteem binding Morocco and Brazil, and underscored willingness to work together with Bolsonaro to reinforce the distinguished ties between the two countries.

The sovereign also expressed resolve to promote coordination between Morocco and Brazil at the regional and international levels to the best interest of the two friendly peoples.

Morocco was the first African country to recognize Brazil’s independence from Portugal in 1822. The north African kingdom was also the first African country with which Brazil has established diplomatic relations.

In 1884, Brazil had already opened a consulate in Tangier, then an international centre of commerce. In 1906, Brazil’s Plenipotentiary Minister in Lisbon presented his credentials to Sultan Moulay Abdelaziz of Morocco. Full diplomatic relations were established when Brazil appointed an ambassador in Rabat in 1962. Five years later, in 1967, Morocco opened an embassy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s former capital.

The two countries signed in 1999 a Memorandum of Understanding on political consultations between their respective Ministries of Foreign Affairs.

These relations received a boost following the visit of King Mohammed VI to Brazil in 2004, as part of a tour in Latin America.

For Morocco, Brazil is relatively more important as a market for national exports, representing, in 2014, 4.6% of total exports and thus, placing itself as the third most important destination for Moroccan exports, after France and Spain.

Morocco provides fertilizers, while Brazilian exports to Morocco concentrate mainly on agricultural products.