RABAT, Jan 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Morocco’s army said it had agreed with Israel to strengthen military cooperation, including in intelligence and cybersecurity, following defense meetings in Rabat.
The two countries “agreed to further strengthen cooperation and expand it to other areas, including intelligence, air defense, and electronic warfare,” the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces said in a statement.
The announcement on Tuesday follows the first meeting of the monitoring committee for Moroccan-Israeli defense cooperation in the Moroccan capital.
The two-day meeting examined military cooperation, including in the fields of “logistics, training, and the acquisition and modernization of equipment.”
The two countries formalized their ties in 2020, following similar agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
It followed the United States’ recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara region as a quid pro quo for re-establishing ties with Israel.
That sparked concern in neighboring Algeria among long-time backers of the Polisario movement, which seeks an independence referendum for Western Sahara.
In November 2021, Israel’s then-defense minister, Benny Gantz, signed a memorandum of understanding in Rabat outlining security relations with Morocco. — NNN-AGENCIES
