Morocco and Israel to Form Joint Working Groups, Expanding Cooperation

Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita "agreed during a telephone conversation to set up working groups that will work towards cooperation agreements in many areas," the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. These groups will work, among other things, on "investments, agriculture, water, the environment, tourism, science, innovation, energy," the statement said.

The Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed this information to AFP. Initially, the working groups will discuss by videoconference due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, a high-ranking Moroccan delegation could visit Israel in February, the two ministries said, noting that Mr. Ben-Shabbat should also lead a delegation to Morocco in February. During their telephone conversation, "the two senior officials exchanged views on the great potential for collaboration that will benefit not only Morocco and Israel, but the entire region as well," the office of Mr. Netanyahu said.

In 2020, after the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan, Morocco was the fourth Arab country to announce the normalization of its ties with Israel, under the sponsorship of the administration of former US President Donald Trump. On Tuesday, the Hebrew state reopened a diplomatic mission in Rabat, after the closure of its representation for 20 years.