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Rabat – The Foreign Relations and National Defense Committee (CREDN) of Brazil’s Senate has adopted a draft decree approving a defense cooperation agreement with Morocco.
Brazil’s Upper House stressed that the rapporteur of the text, Senator Espirdiao Amin, has submitted a “favorable” report for approval.
The text, which received a nod from Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies, should still be examined during a plenary session at the Brazilian Senate.
Morocco and Brazil signed the cooperation agreement in June 2019 to cooperate in defense-related sectors, including military training, joint military exercises, and the exchange of defense information.
The agreement will also allow the two countries to engage in theoretical and practical sessions, cultural and sporting events, as well as humanitarian assistance and military training.
The cooperation agreement is part of Morocco’s strategy to diversify its security partnerships with countries from across the world.
The North African country has been intensifying security dialogue with many key partners, including US, Germany, and the Netherlands, among others — who all share the same objectives to tackle security threats like terrorism.
Morocco has frequently expressed interest in developing its own military and defense industries through different approaches, including the purchase of state-of-the-art military equipment.
Morocco’s military expenditures reached $5 billion last year, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
A different report from SIPRI published in March also ranked Morocco as the 29th largest arms importer worldwide.
The US remains the main supplier of arms to Morocco, with Rabat importing 76% of its arms from Washington.
Morocco also imports 15% of its military from France and 6.8% from China.
