Foreign Minister Yair Lapid departed for Morocco on Wednesday morning, the first visit to the North African country by an Israeli official since 2003.
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"This historic visit is a continuation of the long-standing friendship and deep roots and traditions that the Jewish community in Morocco, and the large community of Israelis with origins in Morocco, have," Lapid said ahead of the two-day visit.
According to the Foreign Ministry, during the visit, Lapid will dedicate the Israeli Liason Office in Rabat and will meet with his counterpart FM Nasser Bourita. Joining the visit will be Israel's Welfare Services Minister Meir Cohen, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Ram Ben-Barak, and Director-General of the Foreign Ministry Alon Ushpiz.
"Tomorrow [Wednesday], I will be departing to Morocco to represent the State of Israel and inaugurate the Israeli Liason Office in the capital of Rabat. This historic visit is a continuation of the long-standing friendship and deep roots and traditions that the Jewish community in Morocco, and the large community of Israelis with origins in Morocco, have," Lapid tweeted.
"It will be a moment for political and economic activity, and we will continue to work towards agreements that will bring innovation and opportunity to our countries."
FM @yairlapid : "Tomorrow, I will be departing to Morocco to represent the State of Israel and inaugurate the Israeli Liason Office in the capital of Rabat. This historic visit is a continuation of the long-standing friendship and deep roots and traditions… (3/4)
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) August 10, 2021
In the wake of the signing of the Abraham Accords last year, Israel's renewed diplomatic relationship with Rabat appears to be bearing fruit, as a raft of cooperation agreements between the two countries are reportedly in the pipeline.
In July, Israel and Morocco signed a cybersecurity cooperation agreement, which was the first time the two countries had reached a deal on anything since the renewal of ties.
The foundations for that signing were laid after Ushpiz's recent trip, which mapped out the required steps to promote economic and trade cooperation.
Economy Minister Orna Barbivay is also expected to visit Morocco in the coming weeks at the head of a delegation of businesspeople and industrialists, reported Globes.
The cybersecurity deal is not thought to relate to the recent furor over Morocco's alleged use of Israeli company NSO's Pegasus spyware, in which the government allegedly spied on political opponents and also supposedly surveilled one of French President Emmanuel Maron's cell phones.
Despite Israel and Morocco signing last years' accord, Prime Minister Saad-Eddine El Othmani, head of the Islamic Justice and Development Party, and a supporter of the Palestinian struggle, said that he would not be meeting with Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid during his visit to Morocco.
While trade between the two countries will likely not reach the financial heights of what could be achieved with the UAE, the Israel Export Institute estimated that there was a $250 million potential f exports from Israel to the North African kingdom.
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