EMBASSY OF THE KINGDOM OF MOROCCO IN INDIA

BILATERAL RELATIONS B/W MOROCCO AND INDIA

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July 2022

A/ POLITICAL RELATIONS

1. Introduction

After His accession to the throne of His Ancestors in 1999, King Mohammed VI chose India for his first visit to an Asian country in 2001. Desiring to build more robust bilateral relations, his Majesty’s first visit to India constituted an important landmark in this regard. India-Morocco ties have consolidated, further intensified and diversified since the meeting of King Mohammed VI with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 29^th October 2015, on the sidelines of the third India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-III) in New Delhi.

2. High level visits

From Moroccan Side

• King Mohammed VI paid official visits to India in 2001.
• His Majesty visited India, again, in 2015 to participate in 3^rd India Africa Forum Summit.
• King Mohammed VI, as Crown Prince, led the Moroccan delegation in 1983 to the NAM Conference, held in India.
• Prime Ministerial visits from Morocco include Mr. Abderrehman Youssoufi in 2000 and Mr. Driss Jettou in 2004.

Other important Ministerial visits include:

• Dr. Abdelkader Amara, Minister of Energy, Mining, Water & Environment, from 20 to 21 January 2016;
• Mr. Mohamed Najib Boulif, Minister Delegate in charge of Transport, from 14 to 16 April 2016;
• Mr. Noureddine Boutayeb, Minister delegate to Ministry of Interior, from 29 October to 06 November 2017;
• Dr. Abdelkader Amara, Minister of Equipment, Transport, Logistics and Water, from 15 to 21 December 2017;
• Dr. Jamila El Mossalli, Secretary of State to Minister for Tourism, Air Transport, Handicraft and Social Economy, from 02 to 18 February 2018;
• Ms. Rakiya Eddarhem, Secretary of State in charge of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Industry, Investment, Trade and Digital Economy, from 24 to 26 February 2018;
• Mr. Aziz Rabbah, Minister of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development, from 10 to 12 April 2018;
• Mr. Mohammed Sajid, Minister of Tourism, Air Transport, Handicrafts and Social Economy,  from 16 to 19 September 2018;
• Mr. Abdeltif Loudyi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of the National Defence Administration, from 24 to 26 September 2018;
• Mr. Mohamed Auajjar, Minister of Justice, from 11 to 18 November 2018;
• Prof. Anass Doukkali, Minister of Health, from 10 to 13 December 2018.
• Mrs. Rakiya Eddarhem, Secretary of State in charge of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Industry, Investment, Trade and Digital Economy, from 14 to 20 January 2019;
• Mr. Khalid Samadi, Secretary of State for Higher Education and Scientific Research,  from 18 to 22 January 2019;
• Mr. Moulay Hafid Elalamy, Minister of Industry, Investment, Trade and Digital Economy, from 17 to 19 March 2019;
• Mr. Mohamed Rehrass, Secretary of State for Vocational Training,  from 20 to 25 May 2019;
• Mrs. Ghita Mezzour, Minister Delegate in charge of Digital transition and administrative Reform, from 26 May to 4 June 2022;
• Mr. Rachid Bayed, Executive Director of Operations and Acting Director of Development, MASEN, Morocco, from 19 to 21 July 2022.

From Indian Side

• Dr. Zakir Hussain, Vice President in 1967;
• Mr. R Narayanan, Vice President in 1993;
• Mr. Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Vice President, from 30 May to 02 June 2016;
• Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister in 1999, which was the first ever Prime Ministerial visit.
• External Affairs Ministers Mr. Salman Khurshid in 2014 and late Smt. Sushma Swaraj on 17-18 February 2019.

 Other important Ministerial visits include:

•  Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, Minister of State for Agriculture from 5-8 July 2015, as Special Envoy of the Prime Minister for IAFS III;
• Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industry from 25 - 26 May 2017 for the 5th JCM;
• Shri Suresh Prabhu, Hon’ble Minister of Commerce and Industry from 09-10 October 2017 to participate in WTO Conference and
• Shri P. P. Chaudhary, Minister of State (Law and Justice and Corporate Affairs), from 01-05 April 2018 to participate in the International Justice Conference.

B / INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS

1. Joint Commission Meetings

On 20^th March 2019, the VI India Morocco Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) was held in New Delhi, co-presided by Minister Moulay hafid Alami and Suresh Prabhu.

2. Foreign Office Consultations

The IV India-Morocco Foreign Office Consultations (FOCs) held in New Delhi on 24-25 April 2017 under the co-chairmanship of Secretary (ER), Ministry of External Affairs and Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

C/ ECONOMIC & COMMERCIAL RELATIONS

1. Introduction

Since long, India has been one of the major markets for Moroccan phosphates and its derivatives. India’s export basket to Morocco has also grown significantly in recent years. The main items of India’s exports to Morocco are cotton yarn, synthetic fiber, chemicals, manufactured metals, machinery and instrument, transport equipments, pharmaceuticals and spices. Main items of Moroccan export to India are phosphoric acid, phosphate, metallic ores and metal spray and inorganic chemicals.

Rock phosphates from Morocco are imported in India mainly by Paradeep Phosphate Ltd (PPL) which is controlled by Zuari Maroc Phosphate Ltd (ZMPL), a Joint Venture between Chambal Fertilisers, Zuari Fertilisers and the Office Cherifian des Phosphates (OCP). Government of India holds 19.55% of shares in PPL. PPL has a long-term contract with OCP for supply of nearly 1 million metric ton (MMT) of rock phosphate. Chambal Fertilizers and Tata Chemicals have a Joint Venture with OCP- Indo Maroc Phosphore SA (IMACID) for production of 450.000 MT of phosphoric acid, which is entirely imported by PPL and ZMPL.

2. Bilateral commercial exchange

In 2020, Morocco exported $1.39 billion to India. The main products exported were phosphoric acid, mixed mineral or chemical fertilizers and calcium phosphates. Over the past 25 years, Morocco's exports to India have grown at an annual rate of 6.25%, from $306 million in 1995 to $1.39 billion in 2020.

It is worth mentioning that Morocco's largest public investment in Asia is concentrated in India, particularly in the field of phosphates and fertilizers. Morocco and India, through the Moroccan group OCP and other Indian groups, have Joint Ventures in this sector aiming to guarantee India a regular and quality supply of fertilizers. Morocco is fully committed to contributing to India's food security.

On the other side, India exported $623 million to Morocco in 2020. The main products imported by Morocco were refined petroleum, packaged medicines and cars. Over the past 25 years, India's exports to Morocco have grown at an annual rate of 11.8%, from $38.2 million in 1995 to $623 million in 2020.

Bilateral trade can be further developed between the two countries as they have a lot to share in common. India has advanced experience in several fields including technology, space, medicine, automotive and textiles. On the other hand, Morocco has acquired a recognized experience in food security, solar and renewable energies and automotive industry in addition to its role as a major player in Africa.

For a long time, Morocco was an unknown destination for Indians for business and investment. However, since the historic visit to India of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God Assist Him, in October 2015 on the occasion of the 3rd Summit of the India-Africa Forum, the Kingdom of Morocco has become increasingly present in the radar of the Indian business community and Indian multinationals in particular.

3. Indian companies based in Morocco

Nowadays, private Indian actors constantly praise the privileged geographical location of Morocco, its political and economic stability, its favorable business climate and its investors welcoming policies. Thus, and by way of illustration, the number of Indian companies established in Morocco has increased from 12, seven years ago, to 40 today.

Many of these entrepreneurs already present in Morocco have chosen to invest in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, information technology, automotive components, recycling industries, bottling plants, fertilizers, hotels , energy, solar and renewable energy, green technologies and fiber optics.

The following Indian companies have a presence in Morocco: IMACID (a Birla-Tata joint Venture with OCP-Office Cherifien de Phosphates, Morocco), Onshore Construction, Sunpharma, CIPLA, Varun Beverages (PEPSI), Tata Motors, Sterling and Wilson, Larsen and Toubro, Sumilon, Furnace Fabrica, Satguru Travels, Gujarat Fluorochemicals Ltd. (GFL), Indore (Optic Fibre), and Tejas Network. Varroc Lighting Systems India Pvt. Ltd. IM Gears and the Oberoi Group has also entered the Moroccan market in 2020.

Among the latest arrivals is the Indian mining group “Samta Mines”, which announced at the end of 2021 to invest 100 million dollars in the Kingdom over the next 5 years. Present in 52 countries in the world before more than 200,000 employees, the Indian multinational ‘‘HCL Technologies’’ has also decided in 2022 to start its journey in Morocco.

The following companies are in the process of entering the market namely, AVAADA Welspun, Titagarh Group, Adani Group, HYT Engineering and Apollo Hospital.  Companies such as Mahindra & Mahindra, Ashok Leyland, Shakti Pump, Fieldking, Kirloskar, Sonalika, NandanJain (a subsidiary of Jain Irrigation), Shaktiman and Varuna are also present through their local representatives in Morocco.

4. Project of appointing a Honorary Consul of Morocco in Bangalore, Karnataka

Besides having already Honorary Consuls in Mumbai for the States of Mahrachtra (with Jurisdiction on Goa and Gujarat States) and also in Kolkata (the State of West Bengal), the Embassy, desiring to reinforce its presence in the vast county of India, submitted, in 2021, a proposal for the appointment of an Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Morocco in Karnataka, a State that is considered to be the “Silicon Valley” of India.

5. “Morocco Now” Roadshow in India

Following the official announcement of the new brand ‘Morocco Now’ at Dubai Expo 2020 last October, the Embassy invited the Moroccan Investment and Export Development Agency (AMDIE) to make India the first country to launch the brand abroad. This led to the organization of a road show in India, from 26 to 30 November 2021. A delegation of the AMDIE led by its Director General Youssef El Bari visited India for this purpose.

The roadshow, which took place in the Indian cities of Bangalore and Mumbai, included a large reception and a press conference for the launch of the “Morocco Now” brand, followed by meetings with local officials and business association leaders, as well as B2B meetings with active members of the Indian business community representing several areas including mainly IT, automotive, textile, agro-food, energy, mining and defense.

The Road show had the merit of promoting Morocco as a good destination for Indian investments. It also gave way to a growing interest from the Indian business communities to use Morocco as a gateway to Africa and other important markets like the American, European and the Arab countries, thanks to its good investment environment and to its Free Trade Agreements with over 50 countries.

It is to be mentioned that in the outsourcing and service delivery, a MoU was signed, on 29^th May 2022, between the Government of Morocco and HCL Technologies, one of the leading global IT services to establish an office in Morocco in June 2022.

6. Centre for Excellence in Information Technology

Centre of Excellence in Information Technology has been set up in Technopark, Casablanca under IAFS-II development programme. It is a collaboration of Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC), India and Institut National des Postes et Télécommunications (INPT) of Morocco.

7. Telemedicine

During the visit of Dr. Abdelkader Amara, Minister of Equipment, Transport, Logistics and Water to India, as the Acting Minister for Health at that time, a MoU was signed, on 14^th December 2017, on Telemedicine establishing Collaboration between Marrakech Mohammed VI University Hospital and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, Pondicherry. The inauguration of the Telemedicine connectivity was launched on 15^th January 2018 simultaneously at both institutions through video conferencing.

8. Agriculture Work Plan

The Work Plan for 2018-2020 between Indian Council of Agricultural Research, India and Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests of Government of Morocco under the MoU on Cooperation in the field of Agricultural Research and Education on Agricultural Cooperation was signed on 04^th May 2018.

9.  Tourism

An office of Moroccan National Tourist Office (MNTO) has been established in New Delhi in accordance with Article X of the 1999 Agreement on Tourism Cooperation between India and Morocco.

10. Others

• Inaugural meeting of India-Morocco Joint Working Group under MoU on Cooperation in the field of Water Resources was held in New Delhi on 3^rd July 2018.
• First Meeting of the India-Morocco Joint Working Group under MoU on Cooperation in the field of Health was held in New Delhi on 19 July 2018.
• Inaugural Meeting of Joint Working Group under MoU on Cooperation in the field of Scientific Research and Technology between CSIR and CNRST was held in India from 7-11 October 2018.
• Inaugural meeting of the Joint Committee under the MoU in the field of Mining and Geology was held in New Delhi on 22 February 2019.

D/ CULTURAL RELATIONS

1. Introduction

There is a growing interest in Morocco for Indian art and culture. Bollywood movies are very popular in Morocco and Moroccan TV regularly telecasts Indian feature film every week. Indian film actors have also been honoured at the International Film Festivals in Morocco. The International Film Festival celebrated 100 year of the Indian Cinema in its 12^th edition, 2012, and many actors were awarded prices in the name of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

A Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP) between Morocco and India for the years 2016-19 was signed on 31^st May 2016. In the last 3 years, artists representing the diverse facets of Indian classical music and dance, such as Kathak maestro VaswatiMisra, Bharatnatyam maestro Chitra Chandrasekhar Dasarathy, Sitar maestro  Surmani Agni Verma, Shri Ihsan Hussain and his Qawwali group, Odissi maestro JanhabiBehera, Poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar, Violin Maestro SwapnaDatar, Sarod maestro AbhisekLahiri andVeena maestro Saraswati Rajagopalan have visited Morocco under the Cultural Exchange Programme.

From the Moroccan side, Morocco was the country partner of the 8^th Jagran Film and participated with many movies which were screened in many cities of India. Moroccan calligraphy artists went to New Delhi, Jaipur and Bhopal to exhibit Moroccan calligraphy and renowned Moroccan singer Mr. Aziz Ozouss and his group has represented Morocco in the 8^th International Jazz Festival in New Delhi. The famous group Abidat Rma performed also in many cities of India during a folk art festival held in 2019. The Pianist Maroane Benabdallah visited India many times and performed many times to the pleasure of the public.

2. Moroccan scholarships for Indian students

The Government of the Kingdom of Morocco offers, each academic year, 10 scholarships for Indian students to pursue higher studies in Moroccan universities and public institutions.

3. Indian technical and economic cooperation

Several Moroccan officers benefit from training courses in India in several sectors under ITEC Program (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation), which was created in September 1964.

During the visit of the Indian Minister of External Affairs to Morocco in February 2019, the allocation of ITEC slots for Morocco was increased from 40 to 75. Senior officials from various Ministries of the Government have participated in training programs in India, particularly in the fields of IT, rural development, parliamentary practices, maritime and aeronautical studies.