Moroccan Ambassador in India: Rabat and New Delhi are Key Partners in Africa’s Development
Mohamed Maliki, the Moroccan Ambassador in India, emphasized that Morocco and India play a pivotal role in driving development dynamics across the African continent through trust-based and sustainable tripartite partnerships.
Addressing a meeting organized by the Foreign Correspondents Club of South Asia in New Delhi, the ambassador highlighted the importance of enhancing trilateral cooperation between Morocco, India, and Africa, particularly in vital areas such as technology transfer, productive investments, and infrastructure project financing.
Maliki pointed out that Africa should occupy a central position in developmental strategies, adding that achieving this goal requires partnerships with reliable countries like Morocco and India, given their shared visions and potential synergies.
The ambassador spotlighted the energy sector as a key area for collaboration, showcasing Morocco’s leading experience in renewable energies, which has established the kingdom as a prominent regional and international actor in this field.
He recalled the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline project, which stretches 5,600 kilometers and connects West Africa to Europe, considering this initiative a representation of regional integration that India could contribute to with its technological expertise and financing.
In this context, Maliki highlighted the development of strategic partnership between Morocco and India, which has expanded to include areas such as defense, cybersecurity, and counter-terrorism. He noted that this cooperation is conducted seriously and systematically, yielding mutual benefits.
The Moroccan diplomat regarded the establishment of the Tata Advanced Systems factory in Morocco, the first Indian defense equipment factory abroad, as tangible evidence of the robustness of this partnership. This factory is specialized in producing the “WHAP 8×8” armored vehicle and is in its final stages of implementation.
Maliki confirmed that this project bolsters Morocco’s defense industrial fabric and opens new horizons for India in African, European, and Latin American markets.
He also mentioned that relations between Morocco and India have witnessed rapid growth since the royal visit to New Delhi in 2015, which laid a solid foundation for strategic cooperation between the two nations.
He explained that trade exchanges have risen from $1.2 billion in 2015 to $4.2 billion in 2023, and the number of Indian companies registered in Morocco increased from 13 to over 46, alongside approximately 200 other companies operating in various industrial and logistical partnerships.
On the humanitarian and cultural front, Maliki stated that the bilateral partnership extends beyond the economy to include cultural and tourism links, noting that Morocco welcomed more than 40,000 Indian tourists in 2024, a 43 percent increase compared to the previous year, supported by simplified visa procedures.
The meeting, held under the slogan “Building Bridges and Connecting Continents,” attracted a number of Arab, African, and Asian ambassadors, alongside representatives from media and think tanks. Participants discussed prospects for cooperation among continents amid the geopolitical and economic transformations occurring worldwide.
