Bangladesh, Morocco seek stronger ties
Bangladesh and Morocco have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations through enhanced cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, skills development and multilateral engagement.
During a series of high-level meetings held in Rabat, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said Bangladesh, under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, was keen to deepen engagement with African nations and elevate ties with Morocco to “a new horizon of cooperation, shared prosperity and strategic opportunity”.
She made the remarks during a meeting with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita in Rabat on Tuesday, according to Foreign Ministry.
The two sides emphasised the importance of sustained high-level exchanges in strengthening political relations between the two countries.
During the meeting, the state minister recalled the historic 1980 visit of former Bangladeshi president Ziaur Rahman to Morocco and expressed appreciation for Morocco’s gesture of naming an avenue in Rabat after him.
Bangladesh and Morocco agreed to further expand cooperation in a wide range of sectors, including trade and investment, textiles, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, agriculture, education, shipbuilding, sports, culture and women’s empowerment.
The two countries also pledged to enhance people-to-people connectivity and strengthen collaboration in multilateral forums.
Officials said both sides agreed to hold the next round of Foreign Office Consultations in Dhaka at the earliest opportunity to review ongoing cooperation and identify new areas of partnership.
During the visit, Shama Obaed also held a bilateral meeting with Moroccan Minister of Industry and Trade Ryad Mezzour, where she highlighted Bangladesh’s improving investment climate and proposed exchanges of business delegations to boost commercial relations.
In response, the Moroccan minister expressed interest in sending a business delegation to Bangladesh by the end of 2026.
Agricultural cooperation featured prominently in the discussions, with the Bangladeshi side seeking stronger government-to-government collaboration to ensure a reliable supply chain of phosphate exports for Bangladesh’s agriculture sector and food security.
The state minister also reiterated Bangladesh’s interest in promoting environmentally friendly jute and jute products in the Moroccan market.
The two countries further discussed prospects for cooperation in innovation, industrial training, information and communication technology and artificial intelligence.
They also explored the possibility of signing a Free Trade Agreement to strengthen bilateral trade ties.
In another meeting, the state minister met Moroccan Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills Younes Sekkouri to discuss collaboration in employment generation, vocational training, entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprise development.
She briefed the Moroccan side on Bangladesh government initiatives, including the “Family Card” and “Farmers’ Card” programmes, as well as canal re-excavation projects aimed at supporting rural development.
The two sides stressed the importance of knowledge-sharing, technical exchanges and institutional cooperation to empower women and youth and improve skills development.
Bangladesh Ambassador to Morocco Sadia Faizunnesa and Director General (Africa) at the foreign ministry Abdur Rouf Mondol accompanied the state minister during the meetings.
Shama Obaed is currently visiting Rabat to attend the Second Ministerial Conference on Peacekeeping in a Francophone Environment, scheduled to be held on May 20.
