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After several months of diplomatic crisis, Morocco and Germany have agreed to give “new breath” to bilateral relations.
The announcement came in a joint communique from Morocco’s Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock today.
Following a virtual meeting between the two foreign ministers, both parties agreed to revive bilateral relations in “their special quality in all fields, in a spirit of harmony, mutual respect, and efficient policies.”
Bourita and Baerbock both emphasized the “great and mutual interest in the friendly and close relations between the two countries, agreeing to launch a new dialogue aimed at overcoming the “urgent misunderstanding.”
The communique also announced the return of Morocco’s ambassador to Berlin Zohour Alaoui.
Morocco recalled the ambassador in May 2021 for consultations amid deepening diplomatic tensions between Berlin and Rabat.
In a statement, Morocco’s foreign said the decision to recall Ambassador Alaoui was due to Germany’s “antagonistic” activism following former US President Donald Trump’s proclamation recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.
Before recalling the ambassador, Morocco’s foreign ministry also suspended all contacts with the German embassy in Rabat in March.
Germany’s new government, however, has been attempting to restore normalcy to diplomatic relations with Morocco.
In December last year, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier extended an invitation to King Mohammed VI to visit Germany.
“I hold in high esteem your innovative approaches in the fight against climate change and in energy transition,” the German President said, further highlighting Morocco’s contribution to regional stability and sustainable development.
The German president emphasized Morocco’s key role in the UN-led political process, citing the Moroccan Autonomy Plan initiative as an important contribution to UN-led efforts to resolve the decades-long dispute over Western Sahara.
