Agadir – Morocco and Kazakhstan have signed a judicial cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening legal ties, facilitating access to justice, and improving coordination between the two countries’ judicial authorities, Morocco’s Ministry of Justice announced today.
The agreement was signed during Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi’s official visit to Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, at the invitation of his Kazakh counterpart. The visit also resulted in the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Morocco’s Ministry of Justice and Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Justice.
According to the ministry’s statement, the agreements represent “an important milestone in the development of legal and judicial cooperation between the two countries.”
The civil judicial cooperation agreement establishes a legal framework governing private legal relations between Moroccan and Kazakh nationals while facilitating judicial procedures in cross-border cases.
The agreement covers several areas, including the exchange of judicial requests, the service of judicial and non-judicial documents, the recognition and enforcement of court rulings, and the exchange of information between competent authorities.
The ministry said the agreement aims to “simplify cross-border judicial procedures” and “respond to the requirements of international judicial cooperation,” while keeping pace with the growing bilateral relations between Morocco and Kazakhstan.
Read also: Kazakhstan Opens Honorary Consulate in Marrakech to Deepen Ties with Morocco
The memorandum of understanding, meanwhile, provides an institutional framework for cooperation between the two justice ministries through the exchange of expertise, strengthening institutional capacities, and developing cooperation mechanisms in areas of shared interest.
These areas include the modernization of judicial administration, the digitalization of justice systems, training, and the exchange of best practices.
The Moroccan delegation accompanying Ouahbi included Morocco’s Ambassador to Astana Rachid Maaninou and Rachid Ouaadifi, Director of Civil Affairs and Legal and Judicial Professions. The Kazakh side was represented by Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Rabat and senior officials from the country’s Ministry of Justice.
Following the signing ceremony, Ouahbi held talks with his Kazakh counterpart to discuss ways to expand bilateral cooperation.
During the meeting, the two ministers expressed their commitment to strengthening legal and judicial cooperation through joint monitoring and coordination mechanisms, as well as reciprocal visits by officials and experts.
The ministry noted that the discussions also provided an opportunity to exchange experiences on judicial reforms in both countries, particularly regarding the regulation of legal professions, judicial organization reforms, and the digitalization of judicial procedures and services.
