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Morocco - India Relations

• Political Relations
• Economic and Trade Relations
• Legal Framework

I. Political Relations
Morocco and India established diplomatic relations in 1957, a year after the recognition of Morocco’s independence. Over the past 50 years the political relations between Morocco and India countries have been developing steadily and smoothly.

The two countries share close or similar views on many international issues. Morocco and India have steadily expanded excellent relationship in various fields, which is symbolized by the historical state visit of His Majesty King Mohammed VI made to India between February 26 and March 3, 2001.

Bilateral visits

Visits to India:

• State visit of His Majesty King Mohammed VI (February 26- March 3, 2001);
• Visit of then His Royal Highness CrownPrince Sidi Mohammed (1983);
• Visit of Minister of Trade, Mr. Abou Ayoub, (6-8 March 1991);
• Visit of Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mr. Abdellatif Filali, (18- 20 February 1992);
• Visit of Minister of Commerce, Industry and Handicrafts, Mr. Driss Jettou, (25-28 June, 1995);
• Visit of a Moroccan parliamentary delegation headed by Mr. Jalal Essaid, President of the House of Representatives (6-12 August 1995);
• Visit of Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Taib Fassi Fihri (6-7 April 1997);
• Visit of Prime Minister, Mr. Abderrahmane Youssoufi (21-25 February 2000);
• Visit of Prime Minister, Mr. Driss Jettou (December 2004);
• Visit of Minister of Territory Development, Water, and Environment, Mr. Mohammed El Yazghi (September 2005);
• Visit of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mr. Mohammed Benaissa, (June 2006);
• Visit of a Moroccan parliamentary delegation headed by Mr. Abdelwahad Radi, President of the House of Representatives (23-27 November 2006);
• Visit of Minister-Delegate to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mrs. Nouzha Chekrouni (January 2007).

• Visit of H.E. President, Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam (2007);
• Visit of Vise President, Mr Zakir Hussain (1967);
• Visit of former Vise President, Mr. M. K. R Narayanan (July 1993);
• Visit of Mrs. Najma Heptullah Akbarati, MP and Deputy Speaker of Indian parliament (2-28 April 1996);
• Visit of Prime Minister, Mr. Atal bihari Vajpayee as head of an official delegation (13-14 February 1999);
• Visit of the Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr. Saleem Iqbal Sherwani (1-3 August 1997);
• Visit of the Minister of State for External Affairs, Mrs. Vasundhara Raje (25-27 June 1998);
• Visit of a parliamentary delegation led by the Speaker of Lok Sabha (parliament) B.M.C. Balayogi (7-12 October 1998);
• Visit of the Minister of State for Finance, Mr. K.M.R Janardhan (28-30 October 1998);
• Visit of Mrs. Najma Heptullah Akbarati, MP and Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha (parliament) (10-12 November 1999);
• Visit of the Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr. E. Ahamed (23-26 May 2005);
• Visit of an Indian parliamentary delegation headed by Mr. G.M.C Balayogi, Speaker of Indian Parliament (6-12 August 2006);
• Visit of the Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr. E. Ahamed (February 2007);
• Visit of the Minister of State for Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation, Mr. Kumari Selja (January 2006);
• Visit of the Minister of State for Industry, Mr. Ashwani Kumar (December 2006);
• Visit of the Minister of State for Industry, Mr. Ashwani Kumar (May 2007);
• Visit of the Minister of Chemicals, Fertilizers and Steel, Mr. Ram Vilas Paswan (March 2008).

II- Economic and Trade Relations

Morocco maintains good economic relations with India, which have witnessed an obvious improvement and bilateral trade has expanded in the past few years, mainly after the visit of His Majesty King Mohamed VI to India during the year 2001

Bilateral Trade between Morocco and India in Million US$

India has been the largest importer of phosphate and its derivatives from Morocco. Nearly 40 per cent of Morocco’s phosphoric acid was exported to India during the last decade. A renowned Moroccan group – Office Cherifien Des Phosphates (O.C.P Group) – continues to sustain healthy relations with its Indian partners.

IMACID (50% OCP, 50% Chambal Fertilize-India) : OCP Group has established relations with Chambal, an Indian company belonging to the Birla private group. In 1999, this partnership led to the commissioning, within the Jorf Lasfar industrial complex, of IMACID, a phosphoric acid plant with an annual production capacity of 370,000 tons P2O5. The manufacture of such a volume of acid requires 1.2 million tons of Khouribga phosphate rock and 330,000 million tons of sulphur. In 2005, Indian Tata Chemicals Ltd (TCL), joined this joint venture as a third partner by disinvesting one third of their holding to the Indian company "Tata Chemicals Ltd" (TCL).

Zuari Maroc Phosphore (50% OCP, 50% Chambal Fertilizer-India) : Resulting from a partnership between OCP Group and Chambal Fertilizer Ltd (Indian Birla group), this investment company holds 74% of Paradeep Phosphate Ltd (PPL). The remaining 26% are held by the Indian Government. The unit is specialized in the manufacture of phosphate fertilizers, with a production capacity of 1 million tons per year.

The kingdom, who has very strong economic cooperation with India in the fields of phosphates, reiterates its call on Indian companies for investing in new economic sectors, from automobile to agriculture machinery and agro-industry, power to tourism and IT services to pharmaceutics.

Furthermore, Morocco offers a rich and widely diversified potential which gives Indian companies the opportunity to use it as the gateway for trade with the EU, the US, the Mediterranean countries as well as Africa and the Arab world.

Moroccan-Indian Joint Business Council (MIJBC)
The Morocco-Indian Joint Business Council (MIJBC) was set up on February 23, 2000 to help promoting trade between the two countries, contribute to industrial and technological collaboration between their enterprises and economic institutions. The Council has proved to be a useful mechanism for interaction between the Moroccan and Indian companies.

The MIJBC has held three meetings, New Delhi (February 2001), Casablanca (June 2001) and New Delhi (December 2004).  The forth session of the council is scheduled to be held in Morocco.

Moroccan-Indian Joint Commission 
In virtue of the Moroccan-Indian Trade Agreement of 1981, a Joint Commission was established consisting of representatives of the two countries to ensure the execution and smooth working of this Agreement.

Since its establishment, the Joint Commission has held three sessions, Rabat (May 1985), New Delhi (July 1995), and Rabat (January 2001). The fourth session of the Joint Commission is scheduled to be held in New Delhi and proposes to further strengthen the bond between the two countries in terms of trade and business opportunities.

Legal Framework

Agreements and Memorandum of Understanding signed between Morocco and India:

• Trade Agreement, 26-09-1960;
• Trade Agreement, 03-08-1963;
• Trade Agreement, 17-11-1981;
• Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation, 20-11-1981;
• Cultural and Scientific Cooperation Accord, 12-01-1983;
• Mutual Cooperation Agreement between the Moroccan Export Promotion Center (CMPE) and the Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO), 22-04-1996;
• MOU on regular Consultations between the MAEC of Morocco and the MEA of India, 25-06-1998;
• Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income, 30-10-1998;
• Agreement concerning the Promotion and Protection of Investments, 13-02-1999;
• Tourism Cooperation Agreement, 13-02-1999;
• Agreement for Cooperation between Maghreb Arab Press (MAP) and Press Trust of India (PTI), 13-02-1999;
• Agreement for Cooperation in the fields of Merchant Shipping and Maritime, 22-02-2000;
• Agreement for Cooperation in the field of Energy and Mines, 22-02-2000;
• Agreement for Cooperation between RTM (Moroccan Radio & TV) and Doordarshan TV, 22-02-2000;
• MOU between CGEM (General Confederation for Moroccan Enterprises) and CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) for setting up a joint Business Council, 22-02-2000;
• MOU between APEBI (Moroccan Federation of Information Technologies, Telecommunications and Offshoring) and NASSCOM (the trade body of the IT/BPO industry in India), 22-02-2000;
• Agreement on Plant Protection and Plant Quarantine, 27-02-2001;
• Agreement on Veterinary Sanitation, 27-02-2001;
• MOU in the field of Geology and Mines, 27-02-2001;
• MOU on Mutual Cooperation between the Moroccan MAEC and the Foreign Service Institute, 09-01-2004;
• Air Services Agreement,  -12-2004;
• MOU in the field of Agriculture Research and Education,   -12-2004;
• MOU for Cooperation in Power Sector,    -12-2004;
• MOU on Bilateral Cooperation in Housing Sector,   -01-2006.