The new German government is stepping up gestures of good intention towards Morocco in order to turn the page on the diplomatic crisis which has been going on for months. The German Foreign Ministry issued a new statement singing the praises of the Kingdom as a central partner of Europe. In addition, Berlin expressed its support for Morocco’s efforts to resolve the Sahara conflict, stressing the importance of the autonomy plan.
Here is the text of the press release from the German Foreign Ministry:
“The Kingdom of Morocco constitutes an important link between the North and the South politically, culturally and economically – the country is a central partner of the European Union and of Germany in North Africa. Germany and Morocco maintain diplomatic relations since 1956.
Morocco has embarked on sweeping reforms over the past decade. The country plays an important role in the stability and sustainable development in the region. This is reflected in particular in his diplomatic commitment to the Libyan peace process. The United Nations, under the leadership of the new Personal Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General, Staffan de Mistura, is seeking a solution to the question of Western Sahara. The federal government’s position on this issue has remained unchanged for decades. Germany supports the Personal Envoy in his pursuit of a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political outcome on the basis of Security Council resolution 2602. Morocco made an important contribution to such an agreement in 2007 with an autonomy plan.
There are important economic and trade relations between Morocco and Germany. Germany ranked 7th in Morocco’s trade balance in 2019. In 2019, Germany imported goods worth 1.4 billion euros from Morocco, while goods worth 2.2 billion euros were exported. In particular in Casablanca and Tangier, nearly 300 companies with German participation are represented in Morocco. Morocco is a popular travel destination, around 6% of foreign tourists came from Germany in 2019.
Germany supports Morocco in its modernization and is one of the largest bilateral donors with a total commitment of nearly 1.2 billion euros in 2020. German-Moroccan development cooperation focuses on sustainable economic development and employment, renewable energies and water management. Morocco is part of the G20 Pact with Africa initiative aimed at improving the framework conditions for private investment. To this end, the two countries agreed to a German-Moroccan reform partnership at the end of November 2019. In 2020, Germany helped Morocco cope with the coronavirus crisis through a vast aid program of emergency.
Next to LA GIZ and La KfW The Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, the Hanns Seidel Foundation and the Heinrich Böll Foundation are also represented with offices in Morocco. In addition, the German language and scientific cooperation are encouraged. The Goethe-Institut has branches in Casablanca and Rabat as well as points of dialogue in German in Tangier and Oujda. In addition, there are partner schools and more than 20 cooperations in the higher education sector. Lecturers from the German Academic Exchange Service teach in Rabat and Meknes. The Federal Foreign Ministry also promotes cultural preservation in Morocco “.
