NEW DELHI: India and Morocco formalized an agreement aimed at enhancing military cooperation following discussions between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Moroccan counterpart, Abdeltif Loudiyi. Singh is presently visiting Morocco. In a post on X, Singh mentioned that he and his counterpart explored avenues to strengthen collaboration in critical areas such as counter-terrorism efforts, maritime security, cyber defence, and capacity building. “I had a very productive meeting with Morocco’s Defence Minister Mr. Abdeltif Loudiyi, and we signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the defence sector. India’s relationship with Morocco has been remarkably growing over the years. We deliberated on methods to enhance collaboration in key areas, including counter-terrorism efforts, maritime security, cyber defence, and capacity building,” he stated.
The MoU is expected to establish an institutional framework to broaden and intensify bilateral defence engagement, which will encompass exchanges, training, and industrial linkages, according to officials. “India’s relationship with Morocco has been remarkably growing over the years. We deliberated on methods to enhance collaboration in key areas, including counter-terrorism efforts, maritime security, cyber defence, and capacity building,” Singh further added.
Singh’s visit to Morocco marks the first-ever trip to that nation by an Indian defence minister. The relationship between India and Morocco has gained significant momentum since King Mohammed VI’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 in India.
