Rabat – Morocco has inaugurated the new headquarters of its Consulate General in Rome, Italy.
Morocco’s Consul General Abdelhaq Jniyene and the Moroccan Ambassador to Italy Youssef Balla attended the inauguration ceremony, according to Italian news outlet Giornale Diplomatico.
In his speech, Ambassador Balla noted that the new headquarters of the consular mission is set to serve the Moroccan community in Italy and Italian citizens as well.
He also highlighted Morocco-Italy decades-long relations, conveying his readiness to further consolidate the two countries’ ties in several fields, including culture, science, and technology.
The chairperson of the Great Mosque of Rome Abdellah Redouane, the Moroccan-born Italian politician Souad Sbai, and president of the Confederation of the Moroccan Community Leila Maher also attended the inauguration ceremony.
Last year, Morocco and Italy celebrated the 30-year anniversary of a 1991 friendship and cooperation agreement, and the two countries have in recent months signaled their readiness to further their cooperation.
At a meeting held last month, several officials from Morocco and Italy spoke of deepening the improved bilateral relations to pave the way for more diplomatic agreements.
During the meeting, Morocco’s Ambassador Balla underlined the country’s significant investment opportunities while recalling the reforms implemented to improve its economic and business climate.
Despite recent improvements in their cooperation on a wide range of fronts, the history of Morocco-Italy ties dates back to the 19th century.
The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation recently revealed a historical document from archives that features records of meetings between the Moroccan Sultan and an Emissary from the European country dating back to 1875.
The then Italian king Victor Emmanuel II sent an emissary in 1875 to Hassan ben Mohammed, Morocco’s sultan at the time.
The emissary was accompanied by Edmondo De Amicis, an Italian travel writer in Morocco, who documented the meeting.
The document also notes the rapid recognition of the Italian Kingdom by the Moroccan sultan.
