EU and Morocco Deepen Security Ties Amid Regional Crises

The meeting was the second high-level security dialogue between the two partners, following the one held in Rabat in May 2024. It was co-chaired by Cosmin Dobran, head of the peace and crisis management department at the European External Action Service, and Ismail Chekkori, director of global affairs at Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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Discussions focused on combating terrorism and violent extremism, international coordination on cyber issues, as well as non-proliferation and disarmament, the European diplomatic service said in its statement.

The delegations also compared their assessments of the Maghreb and Africa, particularly the Sahel. The agenda extended to crises in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine, taking the meeting beyond issues of security on Europe’s borders alone.

Cooperation that goes beyond border control

The dialogue builds on the political relaunch initiated in January. On 29 January, Kaja Kallas and Nasser Bourita co-chaired the fifteenth EU-Morocco Association Council in Brussels. Security was already among the areas discussed, alongside migration, trade, the green transition and economic development, according to the Council of the European Union.

Security ties are also developing in other areas. On 1 October, European interior ministers announced additional funding for drones and anti-drone systems, while calling for stronger cooperation with several partner countries, including Morocco. Brussels is thus seeking to involve Rabat more closely in its external cooperation framework.

At the 6 October meeting, the two sides agreed to deepen their coordination in international and regional forums, particularly in the Euro-Mediterranean area and with their African partners.

The security dialogue is to continue regularly, with meetings held alternately in Rabat and Brussels.