Moroccan parliament approves 22 international agreements across sectors

Tuesday 09 - 13:35

By: Dakir Madiha

Moroccan parliament approves 22 international agreements across sectors

The Moroccan House of Representatives has unanimously approved 22 draft laws ratifying international agreements covering bilateral and multilateral cooperation. The vote took place during a plenary session and included 17 bilateral agreements and 5 multilateral accords spanning customs, taxation, transport, logistics, maritime regulation, and judicial cooperation.

Foreign affairs minister Nasser Bourita presented the agreements and said they reflect a broad diplomatic agenda focused on economic, legal, and security partnerships. The bilateral deals include cooperation frameworks in customs administration with Guinea-Bissau, tax conventions with Chad and Burundi, and transport agreements for goods and passengers involving Guinea-Bissau.

Additional provisions include an air services agreement with Côte d’Ivoire, mutual recognition of driving licences with Chad, and a logistics partnership with Azerbaijan. These agreements aim to streamline cross-border mobility, trade flows, and regulatory coordination between Morocco and partner states.

Judicial cooperation also features prominently, with agreements on legal assistance in criminal matters and extradition procedures involving Malawi and Saudi Arabia. Separate accords address the transfer of convicted persons with Malawi, Saudi Arabia, and Austria, reinforcing shared legal frameworks across jurisdictions.

Military cooperation agreements were also signed with Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and Azerbaijan. These add another layer to Morocco’s expanding security partnerships, particularly with African and Eurasian partners.

On the multilateral side, three agreements facilitate the establishment of African institutional headquarters in Rabat, including organizations focused on governance, auditing, and social and economic cooperation. Two maritime conventions aim to align national legislation with international standards on passenger transport and seafarer identification.

Officials highlighted the strong African dimension of the agreements, noting that nearly two thirds involve African partners. They also indicated that 40 percent of the accords were signed in Dakhla and Laâyoune. Morocco currently hosts 42 African embassies out of 53 countries on the continent and 15 African organizations headquartered in Rabat, underscoring its role as a regional diplomatic hub.

The government presented these agreements as part of a pragmatic foreign policy approach focused on implementation and measurable outcomes in diplomacy, trade, security, and consular affairs.