The Israel Liaison Office in Morocco announced the start of construction of the “Israeli embassy headquarters” in Rabat on Wednesday, February 22.

https://twitter.com/IsraelinRabat/status/1628411878253666305?s=20

“This is a historic moment, and we are delighted to be here today; God willing, we will have our own home within a year!” “It will be more than an embassy; it will be a home for all Israelis in Morocco,” said Alona Fisher Cam, the office’s director.

According to the i24News channel, David Govrin, the former head of the Israeli liaison office in Morocco, signed a contract on August 1 for the construction of a permanent Israeli embassy in Morocco.

In order to elevate the liaison offices in Rabat and Tel Aviv to the status of embassies, Morocco had reportedly demanded that the Israeli government recognize Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara in January, according to the US news outlet Axios.

The visit of his Moroccan counterpart to inaugurate the Moroccan embassy’s headquarters in Tel Aviv was announced by the former Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yair Lapid, in statements to the country’s press on June 15.

Local media was then informed by an Israeli diplomatic source that Nasser Bourita’s visit, which is set for the summer, should coincide with the conversion of the Israeli liaison office in Rabat into an embassy. However, the diplomatic chief’s trip is still not confirmed.

On December 10, 2020, Morocco and Israel officially reestablished their diplomatic ties after a 20-year hiatus.

a restart that was made possible by the US acknowledging the kingdom’s control over Western Sahara.

Read Also: Morocco is removed from the GAFI’s grey list

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The number of deaths among the Moroccan community in Turkey, in the violent earthquake that hit the south of the country, has now reached nineteen, the Embassy of the Kingdom in Ankara reported on Saturday.Six new deaths were recorded, adding to the thirteen announced earlier, the diplomatic representation said.

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale shook the Pazarcık district of Kahramanmaraş in southern Turkey on Monday, causing huge damage in the localities of “Gaziantep,” “Adana,” “Malatya,” “Diyarbakir,” “Sanliurfa” and “Osmaniye” in addition to the epicenter.

Within hours of this first strong earthquake, another earthquake struck north of the city of Gaziantep with almost the same intensity and close to the epicentre of the first earthquake, adding to the toll of the disaster.

Thousands of people were left homeless and over 46,000 people lost their lives as a result of the strong earthquake that also hit Syria.

The earthquake in Turkiye caused the destruction of over 264,000 apartments, and many people are still unaccounted for under the debris.

Out of the two countries hit by the fatal quake, data shows that Turkiye recorded the most deaths, totaling 40,642 people

The Turkish authorities declared an official mourning period of seven days and a state of emergency in the affected areas for three months

Read Also: Earthquake of 4.3 hits Al Hoceima province this morning

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The Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Jakarta held an itinerant consulate in Bali from August 20 to 23, 2021, involving nearly 30 Moroccan citizens living in this Indonesian province, which has the second-largest Moroccan community in Indonesia after Jakarta, according to a statement released Tuesday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Expatriates.

Because of Indonesian health regulations and the need that all foreigners be vaccinated, members of the Moroccan community in Bali have been unable to go to Jakarta for different consular services since the pandemic began, according to a statement from the ministry.

As a result, the Moroccan Embassy in Bali has decided to coordinate consular services for Moroccan residents living in Bali, according to the same source.

Moroccan residents who have lived in Bali for more than 20 years have all expressed their gratitude and pleasure with this move, which is the first of its type since the Moroccan Embassy in Jakarta was established.

Following the numerous contacts with the Moroccan community in Bali, the government decides that similar operations will be held every six months.

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During the regional seminar of the Committee of 24 (C-24) for the Caribbean, which is being conducted in Dominica, a number of countries have expressed their support for the UN-sponsored political process aimed at resolving the regional conflict over the Moroccan Sahara.

While praising Morocco’s efforts, Chile’s delegate underlined his country’s support for a “peaceful solution, using the diplomatic resolution procedures established by the United Nations,” in order to put an end to the long-running conflict.

Syria, for its part, argued in front of the C-24 members for diplomacy and discussion as a basis for resolving the conflict.

“We truly hope that all parties to this dispute participate in constructive discussions to establish a reasonable and permanent settlement,” the Syrian representative said, adding that his nation supports UN efforts to find a mutually acceptable political solution to the Sahara issue.

In a similar spirit, Indonesia underlined its support for the UN efforts to establish a “fair, durable, and mutually acceptable political settlement” to the Sahara conflict, particularly under the auspices of the Secretary-General.

Indonesia also backs the Security Council’s demands for a “realistic, attainable, and long-term solution to this situation” in its resolutions.

The C24 regional meeting for the Caribbean is taking place in the backdrop of the Kingdom’s diplomatic victories, which have sanctified the Moroccan character of the Sahara.

These include the United States’ acknowledgment of Morocco’s complete sovereignty over its southern regions, as well as the creation of 24 general consulates in Laâyoune and Dakhla.

The UN meeting also comes just a few months after the Royal Armed Forces’ nonviolent intervention, which made it possible to secure the free movement of persons and commodities in Guergarate once and for all.

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Yaïr Lapid, the Israeli foreign minister, announced today that he and his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, discussed “points of concern” related to the Algerian-Iranian rapprochement.

“We discussed Algeria’s role in the Sahara case but the arms agreements were not discussed, Lapid said in response to a press query concerning Israel’s position on the Sahara and arms deals.

“With the two-State solution, there are currently obstacles in the restoration of negotiations between the parties, due to the Palestinian division (the West Bank and Gaza) as well as the structure of the Israeli Government,” the Israeli source stated.

However, a number of journalists who attended the meeting stated that rigorous protocols were in place.

They were controlled and checked in three steps (first, checking the national card, then verifying the national card and vaccination, and last, inspecting the journalists and their baggage), which enraged a lot of Moroccan colleagues, notably the Israeli side’s treatment of them.

On Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Yaïr Lapid stated that Moroccan and Israeli diplomats have achieved a deal to open the two nations’ embassies within the next two months.

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During a press conference following his visit to Morocco, Israeli Foreign Minister Yaïr Lapid stated that Nasser Bourita, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Africa and Moroccan Expatriates, had agreed this morning to normalize relations between the two countries and open embassies in Morocco and Israel within two months, which is expected to happen in October.
In accordance with the accompanying staff, Israeli Foreign Minister Yaïr Lapid started up the Israeli liaison office in Rabat, marking the first visit of an Israeli diplomat to Morocco since the two nations resumed diplomatic ties in 2020.
Israeli Foreign Minister Yaïr Lapid sent Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita a letter from Israeli President Isaac Herzog asking the Moroccan monarch to visit Israel, which reads: “His Majesty the King, Mohammed VI, it is my pleasure to see His Majesty in the near future. In the future years, we all want to strengthen collaboration for the benefit of both peoples. Please accept my greetings to the Royal Family and the Moroccan nation as a whole”.
President Herzog also thanked His Majesty the King on Royal Day, saying, “I have the honor to send my heartfelt greetings on the occasion of the throne anniversary on behalf of the Israeli people and the State.” Accept our warmest wishes for Morocco’s and its people’s continuing growth and prosperity.
Foreign Minister Lapid emphasized that this letter demonstrates the importance of the two countries’ ties as well as Israel’s strong commitment to the two peoples’ peace accord.

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The Israeli government is preparing for the official opening of its embassy in Rabat, Morocco’s capital, in the coming days.

Decidedly, Tel Aviv unveiled the staff of its Moroccan embassy in Rabat, where Eyal David, Israel’s Deputy Ambassador to Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, has been invited to serve as Deputy Ambassador.

Ambassador David Govrin, a distinguished diplomat who previously served as Egypt’s Ambassador Extraordinary, has been reappointed.

And there’s also Eyal David, a young diplomat with Moroccan ancestry.

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However, following the reopening of communication channels between the two nations, this appointment demonstrates Israel’s strong interest in the strengthening of its relations with Morocco.

The Israeli Foreign Minister is expected to visit Rabat at the start of this week to attend the inauguration of his country’s embassy in the Kingdom, before the Moroccan side does the same in Tel Aviv later this week.

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While the opening of an embassy is predicted for this year, Ireland has just appointed its first ambassador to Morocco.

The government of the Republic of Ireland has appointed James McIntyre as head of its future embassy in Rabat. It is one of two new diplomatic missions created by the Irish executive, alongside the Consulate General in Manchester.

These missions are part of the Global Ireland program which will bring the country’s network of diplomatic missions to 95 offices by the end of the year.

James McIntyre is currently Director in the Ireland, UK and Americas Division at the Department of Foreign Affairs where he has accumulated 30 years of experience.

In Rabat, he will also serve as Ambassador of Tunisia and Mauritania. He will join the teams of the two honorary consulates of Ireland in Casablanca and Agadir.

It is noted that the announcement of a new Irish embassy in Morocco was made in June 2018, and was later confirmed in a tweet posted in early September by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs.

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The Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Cooperation of the Republic of Suriname, Albert Ramdin, announced today, Thursday, in Rabat, that his country has decided to open an embassy in Rabat and a consulate in Dakhla in order to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation with Morocco.

Ramdin said, during a press interview following his talks with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, that he discussed with his Moroccan counterpart opportunities to strengthen business relations between the two countries with the aim of strengthening bilateral exchanges in the framework of South-South cooperation.

“For this purpose, the government of the Republic of Suriname announces that it will open an embassy in Rabat and a consulate in Dakhla in order to advance bilateral cooperation and boost investment and business”, stressed the minister.

Regarding the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara, Ramdin reaffirmed “the Republic of Suriname’s support for the territorial integrity of Morocco by confirming its firm position on the Moroccan Sahara and Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces.”

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According to the diplomatic source, Senegalese people have great respect for Moroccans, which reduces the possibility of Moroccans being attacked.

A diplomatic source at the Moroccan Embassy in Dakar called on members of the Moroccan community in Senegal to calm down and not to be intimidated by what is shared on social media regarding the current situation in the country, explaining that both the Moroccan diplomatic and consular representations are still working hard to answer the various inquiries it receives from Moroccans residing in Senegal.

The diplomatic official believes that the popular demonstrations in Senegal express the extent of the dynamism of the Senegalese people, and that the situation has not reached the dangerous security situation, as some countries have known in such political crises.

He also stressed that there is an exaggeration at the level of Senegalese websites, calling on the Moroccan community to remain calm and not to be drawn into a state of intimidation that spread during the past week after the Senegalese authorities had arrested opposition party leader Ousmane Sonko.

On the other hand, the capital Dakar, has witnessed the application of strict security measures, in parallel with the court’s decision to release Sonko and place him under judicial control.

The Ministry of Education in Senegal decided yesterday, March 7th, to close schools across the country until March 15th, due to the violent protests that Senegal has witnessed recently, and which paralyzed parts of the capital Dakar as well as other provinces.

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