Morocco plans to renew the de facto diplomatic relations frozen since March with Germany, following "
positive
"
statements
from the new German government, its foreign ministry said on Wednesday. Morocco "
appreciates the positive announcements and constructive positions recently made by Germany's new federal government
," the ministry said in a statement. "
These announcements make it possible to envisage a revival of bilateral cooperation and the return to normal of the work of the diplomatic representations of the two countries in Rabat and Berlin
", he explains. Rabat suspended all contacts with the German embassy in Morocco on March 1 due to "
deep misunderstandings
With Berlin.
On May 6, the Moroccan ambassador was recalled for consultation, Berlin being notably accused of "
hostile acts
".
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Among the sticking points is Germany's position on Western Sahara, criticizing the American decision to recognize Morocco's sovereignty over the disputed territory, but also the sidelining of Rabat in negotiations on the future. of Libya at a conference in Berlin in January 2020. In a declaration dated December 13, the German foreign ministry called Morocco "
an important link between the North and the South both politically and culturally. and economically
”and“
key partner
”of the European Union and Germany in North Africa. The ministry also stressed that Morocco "
plays an important role in the stability and sustainable development of the region.
”And described
the autonomy plan proposed by Rabat
as“
an important contribution
”to a settlement of the conflict in Western Sahara.
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The Saharawi separatists of the Polisario Front are calling for a self-determination referendum. Berlin, however, reaffirmed that its position on the status of Western Sahara has not changed for decades. Morocco "
hopes that the acts will join the declarations to (...) mark a new beginning of the relationship on the basis of clarity and mutual respect
", concludes the press release from Rabat. Germany is one of the main economic and commercial partners of the Shereefian kingdom. In 2019, it imported goods from Morocco for 1.4 billion euros, and exported for 2.2 billion euros, according to official German figures. Germany is also one of the main bilateral donors with a total commitment of nearly 1.2 billion euros in 2020.
Almost 300 German companies are represented in Morocco.