Pakistan and Morocco have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation, marking a significant step towards strengthening bilateral defence and security ties, a statement issued by the Pakistani embassy in Morocco has revealed.
According to the statement, the agreement was signed during Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif’s official visit to Morocco from January 12 to 14, where he held meetings with Moroccan officials, including Minister of State for National Defence Administration Abdellatif Loudiyi.
“Defence cooperation and bilateral engagements between Pakistan and Morocco were discussed in a high-level meeting led by Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif, underscoring Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening strategic ties and mutual collaboration with Morocco,” the Pakistani defence minister also said in a statement on his social media accounts.
According to Asif’s Instagram post, the MoU will promote defence cooperation and establish “an institutional framework for permanent defense ties”.
“The MoU will also open new avenues for future collaboration across various defense [sic] and security sectors, including military training, exchange of experiences, capacity building, and other joint initiatives,” he added.
Earlier, the defence minister was welcomed at the Casablanca airport by Major General Ahmed Hatuto, commander of the Casablanca army, senior government officials and Pakistan’s ambassador to Morocco Syed Adil Gilani.
During the visit, he also led delegation-level talks aimed at enhancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
Pakistan and Morocco share longstanding friendly relations, supported by cooperation in diplomatic, defence and economic fields.
In April last year, the armies of Pakistan and Morocco also conducted the third edition of their joint bilateral military exercise to enhance professional skills and strengthen defence ties.