Mercosur Chief Calls Morocco ‘Bridge to Arab World and Africa,’ Signals Closer Ties

Casablanca – Mercosur Parliament President Rodrigo Gamarra said in Rabat on Monday that Morocco is increasingly seen from South America as “a bridge to the Arab world and Africa,” a perception that is shaping how other regions engage with the country on diplomacy, trade, and strategic connectivity.

Mercosur, the Southern Common Market, is a regional trade bloc that brings together several South American countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Speaking after talks with Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, Gamarra described relations between Parlasur and Morocco as vital, calling the country a brotherly country and a natural gateway toward both Arab and African partners.

He said the discussions were “very fruitful” and helped bring positions closer on issues of common concern to Africa and South America.

Gamarra also stressed the role of parliamentary diplomacy, saying Parlasur is ready to act as a channel for stronger ties between Morocco and Mercosur countries.

As a member of Paraguay’s parliament, Gamarra reiterated his country’s support for UN Security Council Resolution 2797, which backs Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara and offers a serious and credible path to ending the regional dispute.

The remark about Morocco as a bridge is not just diplomatic language. In 2025 and 2026, Rabat continued to position itself as a meeting point between Africa, the Arab world, Europe, and Latin America.

This approach has taken shape through projects such as the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline, which links West Africa to North Africa and potentially Europe, and through continued momentum around the Atlantic Initiative for Sahel states, designed to give landlocked African countries access to Atlantic trade routes.

Morocco’s co-hosting preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal have also strengthened that image, placing the country at the intersection of African, Arab, and European diplomacy, infrastructure, and investment flows, a role widely noted by international institutions and global media.

Morocco World News is also on X — check out our latest posts now! Get MWN on iOS and Android for instant access to breaking news.